OMB No. 1103-0098 

Approval Expires 4/30/2024 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

FY23 Law Enforcement Agency De-Escalation Grants -Community Policing Development Solicitation 

Assistance Listing Number # 16.710 

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: O-COPS-2023-171550 

Solicitation Release Date: March 30, 2023 3:00 PM ET 

Application Grants.gov Deadline: May 15, 2023 4:59 PM ET 

Application JustGrants Deadline: May 24, 2023 4:59 PM ET 

Overview 

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office, https://cops.usdoj.gov) is 

pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding for the COPS Office FY22 Community Policing Development 

(CPD) program. 

CPD funds are used to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community policing strategies by providing 

guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about 

effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe 

communities. 

The COPS Office welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one 

entity may be the applicant. Any other entities carrying out the federal award must be identified as proposed subrecipients. The 

applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the awards, including administering the 

funding and managing the entire project. The terms and conditions of the federal award are also applicable to subrecipients. 

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be 

imposed by law. 

Eligible Applicants: 

Other 

Other 

Open to all State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. 

To advance Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, as of October 28, 2020, the Attorney General 

determined that all state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved 

independent credentialing body or have started the certification process to be allocated FY 2023 DOJ discretionary grant 

funding, either as a recipient or a subrecipient. For detailed information on this new certification requirement, please visit 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO. 

Contact Information 

Applications must be submitted through both Grants.gov and the JustGrants system. 

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424, please call the Grants.gov customer service hotline at 800-518-4726, send 

questions via email to support@Grants.gov, or consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov 

Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. 

For technical support with the Justice Grants System (JustGrants) application, please contact JustGrants Support at 

JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175. 

JustGrants Support operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and 

Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Training on JustGrants can also be found at 

https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources. 

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For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program, please call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-

6770 or send questions via email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday through 

Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays. 

Submission Information 

Registration: To submit an application, all applicants must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and register online 

with the System for Award Management (SAM) and Grants.gov. 

Submission: Completing an application is a two-step process: 

Applicants are first required to register via https://www.grants.gov, complete the SF-424 form and if applicable the SF-LLL, and 

submit it through the Grants.gov website. 

Once the SF-424 has been submitted via Grants.gov, the applicants will complete the full application including providing 

attachments in JustGrants. 

An application is not considered submitted until both of these steps are completed. For more information about registration and 

submission, see the “How to Apply” section of this solicitation. 

All guidance for this program is contained in this Solicitation and can also be found at https://cops.usdoj.gov/de-escalation. In 

addition to this Solicitation, the COPS Office “How to Apply” web page provides additional resources to help guide applicants 

through the process. 

The complete application package (this solicitation, including links to additional documents) is available on Grants.gov and on 

the COPS Office website https://cops.usdoj.gov. 

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Contents 

Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................

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Other 1 

Contact Information 1 

Program Description 5 

Statutory Authority 5 

Program-Specific Information 5 

Program Goals 5 

Law Enforcement Agency De-Escalation Grants 5 

Projects Out of Scope 6 

Additional Requirements 6 

Deliverables 6 

Federal Award Information 7 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 7 

Federal Award Information 7 

Length of Award 7 

Type of Award 7 

Cost sharing or match 7 

Eligibility Information 7 

Application and Submission Information 7 

Content of Application Submission 7 

Content and Form of Application 8 

Completing the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) and the Disclosure of Lobbying (SF-LLL) in Grants.gov.8 

Intergovernmental Review 8 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 9 

Standard Applicant Information 9 

Proposal Abstract 9 

Data Requested with Application 10 

Budget and Associated Documentation 10 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 11 

Non-competitive Justification 22 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 22 

Consultant Rate 22 

Budget Narrative 22 

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Other Supportive Documents 23 

Additional Application Components.............................................................................................................................

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Letters of Support 23 

Timeline 23 

Disclosure and Assurances 24 

Declaration and Certification to DOJ as to Application Submission .....................................................................

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Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 24 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 24 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free 

Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and Community Policing 24 

How to Apply 25 

Submission Dates and Time 27 

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Late Submissions.................................................................................................................................................

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Application Review Information 28 

Review Process 28 

Basic Minimum Requirements review 28 

BMR review criteria 28 

Peer review .................................................................................................................................................................

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Review criteria 29 

Priority points for supporting executive order 14074 30 

Administrative compliance review 30 

Senior Leadership Review ..........................................................................................................................................

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Director’s selection 30 

Executive Order 14074: Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance 

Public Trust and Public Safety 30 

Federal Award Administration Information 31 

Award decisions 31 

The award package 31 

Administrative and national policy requirements 31 

Terms, conditions and award requirements 32 

Other Requirements 33 

Administrative actions and legal remedies related to federal awards 33 

Remedies for noncompliance 33 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 33 

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552 and 5 U.S.C. § 552a) 34 

Feedback to the COPS Office.....................................................................................................................................

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COPS Other Information 34 

Reporting, Monitoring, and Evaluation Requirements 34 

Reporting 34 

Monitoring 34 

Program evaluation 35 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 35 

Audit Requirement 35 

Civil rights 35 

Equal Treatment of Faith-based Organizations and Safeguarding Constitutional Protections Related to Religion 

35 

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 36 

Public Reporting Burden-Paper Work Reduction Act Notice 36 

Performance Measures 36 

Application Checklist 36 

Survey Questions 37 

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Program Description 

Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and 

problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as violent 

crime, nonviolent crime, and fear of crime. 

Community Policing Development (CPD) funds are used to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community 

policing strategies by providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; 

building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and 

promoting safe communities. 

The COPS Office is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, 

supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public 

from crime and evolving threats, and build trust between law enforcement and the community. 

Statutory Authority 

This program is authorized under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended, and the Violent Crime 

Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title I, Part Q, Public Law 103-322, 34 U.S.C. § 10381 et seq. 

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be 

imposed by law. 

Program-Specific Information 

• This program is authorized under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended, and the Violent 

Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title I, Part Q, Public Law 103-322, 34 U.S.C. § 10381 et seq. 

• All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be 

imposed by law. 

• For all identified deliverables, the applicant should adhere to the COPS Office Editorial and Style Manual. For projects 

that propose site-specific work, letters of support from the targeted agencies are strongly encouraged. 

With any programmatic questions, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or send questions via 

email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

ET, except on federal holidays. 

Program Goals

Under this solicitation, the COPS Office seeks to support projects that allow for the identification and expansion of promising 

practices and produces knowledge products that follow the principles of good guidance: 

• Quality-driven, with an emphasis on action statements to drive promising practices and reduce variations in performance 

• Evidence-based, with recommendations that are consistent with the weight of the best available evidence identified through 

systematic review 

• Accessible, with clear language and manageable lengths that are appropriate and relevant for the law enforcement field 

• Memorable, to encourage immediate actions or aid for the complex situations law enforcement professionals face 

To read an overview of the principles of community policing, please see the COPS Office publication Community Policing 

Defined. 

Applicants should also consider the COPS Office performance measures when developing their own specific project goals and 

activities, which can be found in the “Performance Measures” section of this application. 

Law Enforcement Agency De-Escalation Grants 

Multiple awards, up to $250,000 each 

Law enforcement use of force has long been a topic of national and local discussion, especially when a high-profile case 

heightens community awareness. The concept of de- escalation has been a part of law enforcement use of force discussions for 

decades. De- escalation refers to the range of verbal and nonverbal skills used to slow down the sequence of events, enhance 

situational awareness, conduct proper threat assessments, and allow for better decision-making to reduce the likelihood that a 

situation will escalate into a physical confrontation or injury and to ensure the safest possible outcomes. 

Law enforcement agencies should view de-escalation holistically. Ensuring police- community encounters are safe for everyone 

includes not only communication and physical tactics, but also community engagement, community policing, and procedural 

justice. The COPS Office encourages an agency-wide comprehensive approach to de- escalation—one that includes both 

individual-level de-escalation training and other organizational supports. These supports may include such practices as data 

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analysis and after-action reviews of use of force incidents to develop agency knowledge and best practices and the development 

of community-informed policies and procedures for oversight and management of use of force incidents that encourage the use 

of de-escalation tactics. 

For the purpose of this solicitation, the term ‘de-escalation’ refers to taking the necessary action to communicate, either verbally 

or non-verbally, during a sequence of heightened events in an attempt to stabilize the situation and reduce the immediacy of 

threat. De- escalation includes using available time, options, and resources, combined with proactive decision-making skills, to 

enhance situational awareness, perform proper threat assessment, and resolve the situation without the use of force to ensure 

the safest possible outcomes and to further public perceptions of fairness, legitimacy, and mutual respect. 

Through this solicitation, the COPS Office will provide grant funding to support whole agency training efforts in de-escalation, 

implicit bias, and duty to intervene, including overtime to participate in training programs and support for training officers to 

attend nationally certified train-the-trainer programs in these topic areas. Funding can also be used to support use of force data 

analysis; after-action reviews; the development of internal marketing and promotional materials, policies, and procedures that 

encourage a de-escalation mindset; and other organizational change efforts that work toward the creation of a culture of deescalation within an agency. Funded agencies will have the opportunity to participate in an ongoing community of practice with 

other COPS Office awardees. 

Projects Out of Scope 

• Applicants that are not state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agencies will not be considered. 

• Training programs that focus solely on hands-on tactical training, force-on-force skill building, or other topic areas that do 

not directly contribute to the implementation of a de-escalation mindset among officers will not be considered. 

• Applicants that exclusively seek to purchase technology without connecting it to a broader training program in deescalation, implicit bias, or duty to intervene will not be considered. 

Additional Requirements 

The goal of this solicitation is to support whole agency training efforts in de-escalation, implicit bias, and duty to intervene, 

including overtime to participate in training programs and support for training officers to attend nationally certified train-the-trainer 

programs in these topic areas. For applications seeking funding to support third party trainers (either on-site or by sending 

training staff to train-the-trainer programs), the selected training provider or curricula will require post-award review and approval 

by the COPS Office prior to project implementation. NOTE: Approval of your grant application does not mean approval of your 

training provider. Approval from the COPS Office on the specific training provider or curriculum will be required after award 

acceptance and before funding iscommitted to the provider. 

As the COPS Office provides no-cost, nationally certified de-escalation training to law enforcement through a network of regional 

de-escalation training centers, applicants may also seek support for the development of online training to support a portion of the 

COPS Office Online Training Portal, resources (roll-call videos, toolkits, etc.), conduct analysis of calls for service and afteraction reviews of use of force incidents to inform internal training programs, undertake policy manual reviews, and implement 

other efforts that support broader inclusion of de-escalation efforts in agencies. 

Grant funding may also be used to support investments in virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) technology to support 

agencies' de-escalation training efforts and to promote continual learning and maintenance of skills; however, such investments 

must be part of the development or enhancement of a larger de-escalation training program and not solely for the procurement 

of equipment or solely for the use of tactical firearms training. If requesting a VR/AR system or the use of simunitions, applicants 

should specifically discuss how this system will contribute to their agency’s broader training efforts in de-escalation, implicit bias, 

and duty to intervene rather than only to its increase in training capacity on use of force decision-making. 

Applicants should be able to address the following objectives: 

• Ability to establish or enhance training for officers in de-escalation, implicit bias, and duty to intervene 

• Ability to implement organizational improvements that create a culture of de- escalation 

Deliverables 

• The project deliverable(s) (examples include training deliveries, curriculum development, online training development, policy 

development, roll-call videos, toolkits, analytic products, etc.) should be clearly identified in the application describing the 

proposed training and other areas of organizational improvement the agency intends to implement using grant funds. 

• Agencies should expect to report on the number of officers who completed training during the period of performance. 

• Deliverables developed specifically through grant funding will be shared with the COPS Office De-Escalation National 

Coordinator to support de-escalation training efforts nationwide. Proprietary training materials from other vendors or 

providers will not be shared. 

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Federal Award Information 

Awards, Amounts and Durations 

Anticipated Number of Awards

46 

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards 

$250,000.00 

Period ofPerformance Start Date

10/2/23 

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation 

$11,554,164.00 

Period ofPerformance Duration (Months) 

24 

Federal Award Information 

Depending on the quality of applications received and the availability of funding, the COPS Office may not fund every topic or 

subcategory or may make additional or larger awards under one or more topic area or subcategory. In addition, the COPS Office 

reserves the right to revise the scope of the project in your application submission and modify the associated budget proposal 

accordingly. 

All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be 

imposed by law. With limited funding, the COPS Office expects a competitive solicitation. 

Length of Award 

The COPS Office expects to make the project period for all grants 24 months. 

Type of Award 

The COPS Office will make the awards in the form of a grant, which does not provide for substantial involvement between the 

federal awarding agency and the nonfederal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the federal award. Grant 

recipients will be responsible for day-to-day project management and may reach out to the COPS Office with assistance in 

implementing the award. However, grant recipients will need to work with the COPS Office program manager in situations stated 

in the terms and conditions, such as scope changes, extensions, or conference request approvals. 

Cost sharing or match 

There is no requirement for cost sharing or a local match for these awards. 

Eligibility Information 

Open to all State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. 

Application and Submission Information 

Content of Application Submission 

The complete application package (this solicitation, including links to additional documents) is available on Grants.gov and on 

the COPS website https://cops.usdoj.gov/. 

Completing an application under this program is a two-step process. Applicants must first register via www.grants.gov and 

complete an SF-424, the government wide standard application form for federal assistance and the SF-LLL Lobbying Disclosure 

Form. The remainder of the application will be completed through the JustGrants System at https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/. 

Applicants are strongly recommended to register immediately on https://www.grants.gov. Any delays in registering with 

Grants.gov or submitting the SF-424 may result in insufficient time for processing your application through JustGrants. 

No other form of application will be accepted. Applications with errors or missing information may be disqualified or rated 

accordingly. Please note that the application system will not accept incomplete applications or applications with errors. 

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424, please call the Grants.gov customer service hotline at 800-518-4726, send 

questions via email to support@Grants.gov, or consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov 

Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. 

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For technical support with the Justice Grants System (JustGrants) application, please contact the JustGrants Support at 

JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov or 833-872-5175. The JustGrants Support operates Monday through Friday between the 

hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. 

Training on JustGrants can also be found at https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources. 

For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program, please call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-

6770 or send questions via email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday through 

Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays. 

Content andForm of Application 

This section describes in detail what an application must include. Failure to submit an application that contains all of the 

specified elements may negatively affect the review of its application; and, should a decision be made to make an award, such 

failure may result in the inclusion of award conditions that prevent the recipient from accessing or using award funds until the 

recipient satisfies the special conditions and the COPS Office makes the funds available. Applicants must comply with any word 

and field limit requirements described in this solicitation. 

Moreover, applicants should anticipate that an application that the COPS Office determines does not address the scope of the 

solicitation or does not include the application elements that the COPS Office has designated to be critical will neither proceed to 

peer review nor receive further consideration. For this solicitation, the COPS Office has designated the following application 

elements as mandatory: 

• Proposal Abstract (must be brief high-level project description that summarizes the proposed project in 500 words or less) 

• Application Questions (must respond to the application questions under the "Data Requested with Application" section. 

Please be advised there is a 250-word count limit for survey responses. (Note: review panels will not read any information 

past the 250-word count limit. Any information provided beyond the word limit will not be counted in your application.) 

• Budget Narrative (must be submitted as an attachment in the “Budget/Financial Attachments” section) 

• Budget Detail Worksheets (must use the web-based forms in “Budget and Associated Documentation” section) 

• Timeline of project deliverables, milestones, activities and who will complete the activities. (must be submitted as an 

attachment in the "Additional Application Component" section) 

• Letters of support, if applicable (must be submitted as an attachment in the “Additional Application Component”- Optional 

Completing the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) and the Disclosure of Lobbying (SF-LLL) 

in Grants.gov 

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of pre- applications, applications, and related 

information under discretionary programs. 

Applicants must complete and submit the SF-424 via https://www.grants.gov using information on that site. 

Intergovernmental Review

Note: Intergovernmental Review (SF-424 Question 19): This solicitation is subject to Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. 

Applicants must check the Office of Management and Budget’s website for the names and addresses of Single Points of Contact 

(SPOC) under Intergovernmental Review: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf. If 

the applicant’s state appears on the SPOC list, the applicant must contact the state SPOC to find out about, and comply with, 

the state’s process under E.O. 12372. In completing the SF-424, such applicant is to make the appropriate selection in response 

to question 19 once the applicant has complied with its state E.O. 12372 process. An applicant whose state does not appear on 

the SPOC list should answer question 19 by selecting the following response: “Program is subject to E.O. 12372 but has not 

been selected by the state for review.” 

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response including time for 

reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and 

reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of 

information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction 

Project (0348-0043), Washington, DC 20503. 

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET. SUBMIT IT VIA 

GRANTS.GOV. 

Please see the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs on the COPS "How to Apply" 

webpage for the SF-424 instructions and blank form for reference. 

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All applicants must complete and submit the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form in Grants.gov. Applicants that do 

not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in the required highlighted fields. Applicants that expend any 

funds for lobbying activities must provide the information requested on the SF-LLL. 

Once the SF-424 and SF-LLL has been submitted via Grants.gov, an email will be sent to the entity’s E-Business Point of 

Contact (E-Biz POC) (also referred to as the JustGrants Entity Administrator) from DIAMD-NoReply@usdoj.gov. This email will 

contain registration instructions to create an account in DOJ’s secure user management system—the Digital Identity and Access 

Management Directory (DIAMD) or instructions on how to complete the second part of the online application through the 

JustGrants website. 

Standard Applicant Information 

Applicants must complete this web-based form in JustGrants, which is prepopulated with the SF-424 data submitted in 

Grants.gov. Applicants are required to confirm the two Authorized Representatives, verify the legal name, address, and enter the 

ZIP code(s) for the areas affected by the project. For statewide or nationwide projects, the applicant should enter “State” or 

“National” in this field. 

In order for applicant to complete this section, the two Authorized Representatives must have established accounts in 

JustGrants after the Grants.gov portion of the application is submitted. Please note: Users assigned as Authorized 

Representatives must log in into the JustGrants system to activate their account. Users will not be visible in JustGrants 

until they have successfully logged into JustGrants. 

The Authorized Representatives are officials who have ultimate and final responsibility for all programmatic and financial 

decisions regarding this COPS Office application as representatives of your agency, as the legal recipient. 

For guidance on who should be assigned as Authorized Representatives, please see below: 

For law enforcement agencies, COPS Office awards require that both the top law enforcement executive (e.g., chief of police, 

sheriff, or equivalent) and the top government executive (e.g., mayor, board chairman, or equivalent) sign the application, and (if 

awarded funding) accept the award package. Both the top law enforcement executive and the top government executive must 

be assigned the role of Authorized Representative in Just Grants. 

For non–law enforcement agencies, (institutions of higher education, school districts, private organizations, etc.), COPS Office 

awards require that both the programmatic official (e.g., executive director, chief executive officer, or equivalent) and financial 

official (e.g., chief financial officer, treasurer, or equivalent) sign the application, and (if awarded funding) accept the award 

package. These two officials must have the ultimate signatory authority to sign contracts on behalf of your organization. Both the 

programmatic official and the financial official must be assigned the role of Authorized Representative in Just Grants. 

Please note that nonexecutive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) are not acceptable Authorized Representatives. 

For further assistance with accessing JustGrants, please visit the JustGrants website. For further assistance with submitting an 

application in JustGrants, please visit the JustGrants Training web page. 

Proposal Abstract 

Applicants are required to write and submit a proposal abstract, which should be a briefhigh-level project description that 

summarizes the proposed project in 500 words or less. Project abstracts should explain to the reader about the projects’ 

purpose, scope, activities, and key partners, if applicable. An abstract should be coherent, concise, and able to stand alone as a 

summary of the project. You should write your project abstract for a general public audience without any personally identifiable 

or law enforcement sensitive information as this abstract, along with other federal award information, may be published on 

publicly available governmentwide websites. 

The abstract, which is to be entered into a text box in JustGrants, will not be scored but is used throughout the review process. 

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Data Requested with Application 

Applicants will be required to respond to a series of survey questions. Please be advised there is a 250-word count limit for 

survey responses. (Note: review panels will not read any information past the 250-word count limit. Any information provided 

beyond the word limit will not be counted in your application.) Please refer to the following steps to help guide you through 

initiating, completing, modifying, and obtaining the status of solicitation surveys in the JustGrants system: 

• To initiate a survey, please click on the survey title to open. 

• When you have completed the survey, please click the “Finish” button on the lower right corner of the screen. The system 

will direct you to a review screen displaying your survey responses. 

Please be advised: You may notice survey responses are not displayed properly in the survey response review screen. This 

is a known system bug, which is being corrected. Please be assured, your data is captured and saved in the JustGrants 

system. 

• To go back to the initial list of surveys, go to the “Actions” menu at the top right corner of the screen and select “Close” 

to exit the survey review screen. The survey you just completed will still display an “Open” status. 

• To confirm the completed status of your survey, go back to the “Actions” menu and select “Refresh". The status of 

your completed survey will change to “Resolved-Completed.” 

• If you would like to verify the survey responses of a completed survey, you may click the survey title to reopen the 

selected survey and view your saved responses. 

• If you would like to change and/or update the survey responses of a completed survey, you may click the “Re-open” 

option to update your saved responses. 

Remember, to confirm the status of a completed survey, you will need to click the “Actions” menu and “Refresh". 

PLEASE NOTE: A proposal narrative is not required for this solicitation. 

Applicants applying to this solicitation ONLY need to do the following: 

• Submit a proposal abstract (to be entered into a text box within the Just Grants application) and respond to the application 

question 

• Must respond to the application questions under the” “Data Requested with Application” section 

• Submit a budget narrative (must be submitted as an attachment in the “Budget/ Financial Attachments” section) 

• Submit budget detail worksheets (must use the web-based forms in “Budget and Associated Documentation” section) 

• Submit a timeline of project milestones, activities (include who will complete activities) and deliverables (must be submitted 

as an attachment in the “Additional Application Component” section) 

• Submit letters of support, if applicable (must be submitted as an attachment in the “Additional Application Component”-

Optional 

Budget and Associated Documentation 

Applicants must complete the web-based budget sheets in JustGrants and attach a separate budget narrative in the 

“Budget/Financial Attachments” section. Please note: CPD applicants do not need to complete the "Match Amount" and 

"Program Income" fields within the budget summary section of the web-based budget form. The organization must 

create and attach a budget narrative that describes each item requested or group of similar items requested and links each item 

or group of items to the proposed project. All items will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and in context of the allowable and 

unallowable costs lists. 

Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to implement their proposed projects. The budget 

should display a clear link between the specific project activities and the proposed budget items. It should not contain any items 

that are not detailed in the applicant's response to the application survey questions. 

The separate budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of expense listed in the budget detail 

worksheets contained in this application. The COPS Office expects proposed budgets to be complete, cost effective, and 

allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities). 

An applicant should demonstrate in its separate budget narrative how it will maximize cost effectiveness of award expenditures. 

Budget narratives should generally describe cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. 

For example, a budget narrative should detail why planned in-person meetings are necessary, or how technology and 

collaboration with outside organizations could be used to reduce costs, without compromising quality. Consideration will be given 

to budget proposals that maximize the direct funding that supports project activities. 

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The budget narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond clearly with the information provided in the budget detail 

worksheets. The narrative should explain how the applicant estimated and calculated all costs and how those costs are 

necessary to the completion of the proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification purposes but need not be 

in a spreadsheet format. The budget should describe costs by year and should cover the full project period of two years. 

In some circumstances, the budget and budget narrative will be reviewed separately from the applicant's response to the 

application survey questions. Therefore, it is very important that the budget narrative be as comprehensive as possible and 

describe in a narrative format each line item requested in the budget. The budget narrative should not be used to explain 

deliverables or project activities that are not included in the applicant's response to the application survey questions. 

Deliverables and activities that are solely listed in the budget narrative and not described in the applicant's response to the 

application survey questions (and vice versa) will be scored negatively during the peer review process. 

Applicants should submit projects that are scalable where appropriate. Note that the COPS Office may reduce funding for 

selected projects based on the number of awards selected. The COPS Office may revise the proposed scope and modify the 

associated budget proposal accordingly. 

Each requested budget item must be allowable, necessary, allocable, and reasonable to the project activities. 

Pre-agreement costs are costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of performance of the federal award. 

Requests for reimbursement of items purchased or expenses incurred prior to the award start date will not be funded. All such 

costs incurred prior to award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant. NOTE: For awards 

made to states or units of local government (including law enforcement agencies), requests may be made only for 

items or positions that are not otherwise budgeted with state, local, or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) funds and would 

not be funded in the absence of this COPS Office award (see award condition IV, “Nonsupplanting requirement”). 

For-profit organizations (as well as other recipients) must forgo any profit or management fee. 

Each of the categories that follows includes definitions as well as information on frequent requests as well as typically allowable 

and unallowable costs. The unallowable lists are not exhaustive and are generally considered unallowable for the entire 

solicitation, irrespective of where the applicant adds the requested item in the budget. The COPS Office reserves the right to 

deny funding for any items that may not be included in this solicitation. 

The COPS Office is providing a template for the budget narrative that can be used as a voluntary tool to assist your organization 

in developing this required document. You will be able to access the template (Microsoft Word document) in the FY23 Reference 

Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs located at How to Apply web page. Note that instructions in the 

template are provided in italics. If you choose to use this template, please make sure to delete the instructions before submitting 

so that they do not factor in your page count. In addition, the COPS Office is providing an example budget narrative, which can 

also be found in the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant]. Budget Narrative.” 

Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other 

formats. 

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) 

Budget requests may be made in the following categories: 

• Civilian personnel (base salary and fringe benefits) 

• Travel 

• Equipment 

• Supplies 

• Sub-awards 

• Procurement contracts 

• Other costs 

• Indirect costs 

Allowable Costs 

All items requested will be considered on a case-by-case basis during the budget review process. Items under the program must 

be purchased using the guidelines established by the appropriations legislation that governs this funding. In addition, each item 

requested must programmatically link to the activities described in your application. To the extent permitted by law and 

practicable under a federal award, recipients and subrecipients must provide a preference for the purchase, acquisition, or use 

of goods, products, or materials produced in the United States. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.322. 

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For each request, applicants must complete the web-based budget form. The cost should be broken down to the lowest form. 

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe and justify why the item is necessary for the success of the project. 

Provide any additional calculations that make up the base cost. 

Allowable Civilian Personnel: 

For Civilian/non-sworn positions: 

Salaries of personnel are costs based on the percentage of time spent (full time equivalent [FTE]) working directly on the project. 

The total salary percentage should be comparable and consistent with organizational policy. The total amount paid is 

comparable to industry standards and the type of work being performed. 

A recipient may not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation to any employee of the recipient at a rate that exceeds 110 

percent of the maximum annual salary payable to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an 

organization with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year. The salary table for SES employees is available 

at the Office of Personnel Management website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salarieswages/2023/executive-senior-level. Note: A recipient may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in 

excess of this compensation limitation is paid with nonfederal funds. (Nonfederal funds used for any such additional 

compensation will not be considered matching funds.) If only a portion of an employee’s time is charged to a COPS Office 

award, the maximum allowable compensation is equal to the percentage of time worked times the maximum salary limitation. 

For each civilian personnel request, applicants must complete the web-based form. If the individual will be working more than 

one year on the project, applicants will have the option to copy a year. 

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe the employee’s roles, responsibilities, and activities related to the 

work to be completed on the project. If the salary increases from one budget year to another because of cost of living increases, 

be sure to detail these increases in the budget description. 

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial Attachments” section includes the following: 

• Job description 

• Organizational pay scales or written annual salary per position 

• Résumés/vitae 

Completing civilian basesalary 

If you are not requesting any civilian base salary, move to the next section. 

Allowable Fringe Benefits: 

For Civilian/non-sworn positions: 

Fringe benefits are allowances and services provided by the organization to its employees as compensation in addition to 

regular salary. Fringe benefits should be based on actual known costs or an established formula. Typical fringe benefits include 

the following: 

• Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes—includes Social Security and Medicare and cannot exceed 7.65 percent 

(6.2 and 1.45 percent respectively) Health insurance—individual or family 

• Life insurance 

• Vacation 

• Sick leave 

• Retirement 

• State unemployment compensation insurance 

• Federal unemployment tax 

• Worker’s Compensation insurance 

• Other fringe benefits may include holidays, military leave, bereavement leave, sabbatical leave, severance pay, jury duty, 

state disability insurance, pension plan, 401(k) plan 

Applicants will need to provide the appropriate percentage for each fringe benefit that the individual is allocated per the 

employee benefits. Note, the system will not allow more than 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. 

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Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial Attachments” section includes the following: 

• Written organization policies regarding fringe benefits 

• Organizational fringe rate agreement 

Completing fringe benefits 

If you are not requesting any civilian base salary, move to the next section. 

Allowable Travel: 

Travel costs include the costs of transportation, lodging, meals, temporary dependent care, and incidental expenses incurred by 

personnel while on official business, such as attendance at an award-related meeting or conference when travel is further than 

50 miles from program location. Travel and subsistence estimates are based on the contemplated number of trips, places to be 

visited, length of stay, transportation costs, subsistence allowances, and the recipient’s own travel policies. For additional 

guidance, please see the Uniform Guidance 2 C.F.R. § 200.475. 

When charging travel costs to federal awards, award recipients must indicate the source of travel policies applied (applicant or 

federal travel regulations). If a recipient does not have a written travel policy, it must adhere to the Federal Travel Regulations 

(FTR). For information on the FTR and U.S. Government General Service Administration (GSA) per diem rates by geographic 

area, please visit https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates. For all applicants (with or without a written travel 

policy), airfare travel costs must be one of the following: the lowest discount commercial airfare, standard coach airfare, or the 

Federal Government contract airfare (if authorized and available). 

Temporary dependent care costs above and beyond regular dependent care that directly results from conference travels are 

allowable as long as the costs incurred (1) are a direct result of the individual’s travel for the federal award; (2) are consistent 

with the recipient’s documented travel policy for all entity travel; and (3) are only temporary during the travel period. 

The only individuals traveling who should be charged in this section are those listed in “Civilian personnel.” All other individuals 

traveling for the project, including participant and consultant travel, should be listed under “Sub-awards” or “Procurement 

Contracts.” This section should also include any training costs for the primary applicant, all other training costs should be listed 

under “Sub-Awards,” “Procurement Contracts,” or “Other Costs” as appropriate. 

For each travel request, applicants must complete the web-based form. Each trip should be entered as an individual entry rather 

than a group of trips. 

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe the purpose of the trip, proposed destination, trip duration by 

day/night, and list of individuals traveling as well as a detailed cost breakdown for each travel category (lodging, per diem, etc.). 

The cost breakdown should include 

• mode of transportation and proposed fare per trip (airfare, train, etc.) broken down by day; 

• mileage allowances if private vehicle will be used; 

• per diem rates for the destination per day (including full per diem and travel day per diem); 

• lodging costs per night; 

• transportation fees per day; 

• parking fees per day. 

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial Attachments” section includes the following: 

• Organizational travel policy 

Completing Travel

If you are not requesting any travel, training, or conferences, move to the next section. 

Allowable Equipment: 

Necessary equipment must be specifically purchased to implement or enhance the proposed project. Equipment is tangible 

personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit 

acquisition cost that equals or exceeds $5,000. Applicants should analyze the cost benefits of purchasing versus leasing 

equipment, especially high-cost items and those subject to rapid technical advances. Rented or leased equipment costs should 

be listed in “Procurement Contracts.” 

All equipment items must be clearly linked to the enhancement or implementation of the project. Examples of such items may 

include the following: 

• Virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) technology 

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For each equipment request, applicants must complete the web-based form. 

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe the type of equipment with a description and justification explaining 

why the equipment is necessary for the success of the project. The description should provide any additional calculations that 

make up the base cost and the justification should explain that this equipment is not available or accessible to project personnel 

without specifically purchasing through this award. 

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial Attachments” section includes the following: 

• Narrative of the procurement method 

• Sole Source Justification (see the Sole Source Justification fact sheet for further guidance) 

Completing Equipment 

If you are not requesting any equipment move to the next section. 

Allowable Supplies: 

Supplies means all tangible personal property other than those items described under “Equipment.” Supplies costs consist of 

those incurred for purchased goods and fabricated parts directly related to an award proposal. Supplies differ from equipment in 

that they are consumable, expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost, defined as less than $5,000 per unit. Such costs may 

include paper, printer ink, pens, pencils, laptops, etc. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than $5,000, 

regardless of the length of its useful life. 

For broad category requests (such as “office supplies”), explanation for project amounts should be provided with calculations. 

Broad grouping of items under supplies will be limited to $50 per month; otherwise items must be individually captured and 

justified in the budget request. 

For any training awards, the COPS Office allows the purchase of flash drives or USB devices to distribute training materials with 

approval prior to purchasing. 

All supply items must be clearly linked to the enhancement or implementation of the project. Examples of such items may 

include the following: 

• Flash drives 

• General office supplies (printer toner, paper, pens, binders, notepads, etc.) 

• Shipping 

• Training manuals/materials 

• USB devices to distribute training materials 

• Marketing materials 

• Laptops (A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than $5,000, regardless of the length of its useful life) 

For each supply request, applicants must complete the web-based form. The cost should be broken down to the lowest form; 

therefore, if you are requesting $30 per month for office supplies, the calculation should be 12 x $30 and not 1 x $360. 

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe and justify why the supplies are necessary for the success of the 

project. Provide any additional calculations that make up the base cost. 

Completing Supplies 

If you are not requesting any supplies, move to the next section. 

Allowable Sub-awards: 

The applicant should distinguish clearly between sub-awards and procurement contracts in allocating any funds to other entities. 

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, a sub-award is for the purpose of carrying out a portion of the federal award, and a contract is for 

the purpose of purchasing goods and services needed to carry our the program or project under the federal award. The 

substance of the relationship is more important than the form of the agreement in determining whether the recipient of the passthrough funds is a subrecipient or a contractor. The same allowable and unallowable costs that apply to the federal award apply 

to sub-awards. 

Any recipient of an award will be responsible for monitoring sub-awards and contracts in accordance with all applicable statutes, 

regulations, and guidelines. Primary recipients will be responsible for oversight of subrecipient spending and monitoring specific 

performance measures and outcomes attributable to the use of COPS Office funds. The recipient will ensure that the award 

terms and conditions flow down to its subrecipients including all applicable uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, 

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and audit requirements. The recipient will also ensure that subrecipients maintain effective control and accountability over all 

funds, property, and other assets covered by subawards and that each subrecipient establishes and uses internal fiscal and 

program management procedures sufficient to prevent fraud, waste, or abuse. 

Completing Sub-awards 

If you are not requesting any sub-award costs, move to the next section. 

Allowable Procurement Contracts: 

The applicant should distinguish clearly between sub-awards and procurement contracts in allocating any funds to other entities. 

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, a sub-award is for the purpose of carrying out a portion of the federal award, and a contract is for 

the purpose of purchasing goods and services needed to carry out the program or project under the federal award. Contracts 

must directly contribute to the implementation or enhancement of the project. The substance of the relationship is more 

important than the form of the agreement in determining whether the recipient of the pass-through funds is a subrecipient or a 

contractor. The same allowable and unallowable costs that apply to the federal award apply to sub-awards. Keep in mind that 

the awarding and monitoring of contracts must follow documented procurement procedures, including full and open competition, 

pursuant to the procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317– 200.327, and the issuance of sub-awards must meet the 

requirements of 2 C.F.R. § 200.331. 

Consultant expenses include the procurement of goods or services that directly contribute to the implementation or 

enhancement of the project. The use of a consultant should be more economical than direct employment. Compensation for 

individual consultant services procured under a COPS Office award must be reasonable and allocable in accordance with Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles, and consistent with that paid for similar services in the marketplace. The 

services should be commensurate with the rate or salary paid by the primary employer. 

Unless otherwise approved by the COPS Office, independent consultant rates will be approved based on the salary a consultant 

receives from his or her primary employer, as applicable, up to $650 per day (or $81.25 per hour). Please note that this does not 

mean that the rate can or should be as high as $650 for all consultants. If individuals receive fringe benefits from their primary 

employer, such fringe benefit costs should not be included in the calculation of consultant rates. A consultant rate justification will 

need to be submitted for review and approval to the COPS Office for any consultants paid more than $650 per day prior to 

incurring any costs. Determinations of approval will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

Consultant travel costs follow the same guidelines as “Travel” but should be costs associated with consultant travel. These costs 

should not be reflected in the “Civilian personnel” or “Travel” categories. 

All sole source procurements of goods and services (those not awarded competitively) in excess of the simplified acquisition 

threshold amount (currently $250,000) require prior approval from the COPS Office. 

All other consultant-related expenses should be included in this section such as supply and equipment requests. The same 

guidelines as previously stated in the above sections will apply. 

All procurement contracts must be clearly linked to the enhancement or implementation of the project. Examples may include the 

following: 

• Maintenance and service contracts for AR/VR systems (multiyear contracts and extended warranties are allowable but must 

be paid in full within the initial award period and must not exceed the award period) 

• Training instructor fees and travel 

For each procurement contract request, applicants must complete the web-based form. 

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe and justify the product or services to be procured by sub-award 

including the nature and scope of goods purchased, price proposals, and length of contract. Procurement contract travel 

requests should follow the same guidance as the “travel” section. Provide any additional calculations that make up the base 

cost. 

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial Attachments” section includes the following: 

• Consultant Rate Justification (see the Consultant Rate Justification fact sheet for further guidance) 

• Consultant résumés/vitae 

• Organizational travel policy 

• Sole Source Justification (see the Sole Source Justification fact sheet for further guidance) 

Completing Procurement Contracts 

If you are not requesting any procurement contract costs, move to the next section. 

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Items not included in the previous categories but that have a direct correlation to the overall success of a recipient’s project 

objectives and are necessary for the project to reach full implementation will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the 

COPS Office. Requests that may fall under the “other” category include: 

• Associated conference and training to market and stay up to date on best practices 

• Sworn officer overtime 

• Sworn officer overtime fringe benefits for FICA, worker’s compensation, and unemployment compensation 

• Software purchases (such as program, administrative, training, webinar or platform software. Software purchases will only 

be funded for the project period) 

Rental costs are generally allowable under this solicitation when the costs are not included in indirect costs. Applicants should 

list square footage cost in the budget. The amount must be based on the space that will be allocated to implement the COPS 

Office project, not the costs of the entire rental space. 

If an applicant proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to individuals, the costs of taking reasonable 

steps to provide meaningful access to those services or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. 

Reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to services or benefits may include interpretation or translation services, where 

appropriate. For additional information, see the “Civil Rights". 

For applicants that anticipate using COPS Office funds to cover only a portion of a particular service they provide, the budget 

should prorate operational costs like rent and phone service accordingly. 

Completing OtherCosts 

If you are not requesting any other costs, move to the next section. 

Indirect Costs 

Overview ofindirect costs 

Indirect costs means those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefiting more than one cost objective and not readily 

assignable to a particular project but necessary to the operation of the organization and the performance of the project. 

Examples of costs usually treated as indirect include those incurred for facility operation and maintenance, depreciation, and 

administrative salaries. 

If a cognizant federal agency has approved your negotiated indirect cost rate, the negotiated rate must be accepted by all 

federal awarding agencies, unless otherwise capped by federal statute or regulation. 

Indirect cost rates may vary depending on your cognizant federal agency determinations. In some cases, project budgets may 

include more than one rate, particularly when offsite activity is conducted at a location other than the organizations premises. 

Note: Ensure the indirect calculation is in accordance with your organization’s indirect cost rate agreement. 

Expired indirect cost rateagreement 

If your indirect cost rate agreement has expired, you should either renegotiate the rate or request a one-time extension from your 

cognizant agency. The negotiated cost rate may be extended for up to four years. Once the cognizant federal agency has 

approved your extension, you must abide by the rate for the agreed-upon time period. No further negotiations regarding indirect 

cost rates may occur until the extension has expired. At the end of the extension period, you must then negotiate a new indirect 

cost rate. 

De minimis indirect cost rate 

If you do not have a current negotiated or provisional indirect cost rate, except for those nonfederal entities described in 2 C.F.R. 

Part 200, Appendix VII to Part 200, paragraph D.1.b., you may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total 

direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. When using this method, cost must be consistently charged as either 

indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. Also, if this method is chosen, then it 

must be used consistently for all federal awards until such time as you choose to negotiate an indirect cost rate (which may be 

done at any time). No documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f). 

If you elect to negotiate an indirect cost rate with your cognizant federal agency, a special condition will be added to the award 

prohibiting the obligation, expenditure, or drawdown of funds reimbursement for indirect costs until an indirect cost rate has been 

approved by your cognizant federal agency, and the appropriate notification has been made retiring the special condition. 

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For assistance with identifying the appropriate cognizant federal agency for indirect costs, please contact the OCFO Customer 

Service Center at 800-458-0786 or at ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov. If DOJ is the cognizant federal agency, applicants may obtain 

information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal at 

https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/IndirectCosts.pdf. 

Exception: If you are a unit of local government in which the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has not assigned a 

cognizant federal agency, then you are not required to submit your indirect cost proposal, unless the awarding agency requires a 

copy of the proposal. Please see the appropriate appendix section in 2 C.F.R. Part 200 as listed above. 

Approval of indirect cost rates for subrecipients 

As the direct recipient, you are responsible for approving indirect cost rates for your subrecipients if funded. Such rates must be 

consistent with the requirements of 2 C.F.R. Part 200. The COPS Office will not approve indirect cost rates beyond the direct 

recipient level; however, subrecipients who are also direct recipients of federal awards may already have a federally approved 

indirect cost rate. If your subrecipient has negotiated an indirect cost rate with the Federal Government, then that rate applies. 

The subrecipient rates should not be included in this section, but rather under the “Sub- awards” or “Procurement Contracts" 

sections. 

Calculating direct cost base 

The following direct cost bases may be used as a distribution base: 

• Modified total direct cost (MTDC)—This base includes all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials 

and supplies, services, travel, and subawards up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of 

performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, 

rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, and the portion of each subaward in 

excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of 

indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency. 

• Direct salaries and wages—This base includes only the costs of direct salaries and wages incurred by the organization. 

• Direct salaries and wages plus fringe benefits—This base includes the costs of direct salary, wages and fringe benefits 

incurred by the organization. 

Exclusions indirect cost bases 

Applicants should pay particular attention to the two areas listed below to ensure that their indirect cost rate application is in 

compliance with the existing requirements of the government-wide award rules set out in the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) circular and regulations: 

• $25,000 Subcontract/Subaward limitation. For institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations, indirect cost 

rates negotiated on the basis of modified total direct costs may only be applied against the first $25,000 of any subcontract 

or subaward under the agreement. This limitation must be applied to all conference related subcontracts and subawards, 

including those with hotels and travel agents. (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit 

Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 C.F.R. § 200.400 et seq.) 

• Participant support costs. For nonprofit organizations, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. part 200, Appendix IV to 2 Part 200, 

paragraph B.2.c.—Indirect (F&A) Costs Identification and Assignment and Rate Determination for Nonprofit Organizations: 

“The distribution base may be total direct costs (excluding capital expenditures and other distorting items, such as 

[contracts or] subawards for $25,000 or more), direct salaries and wages, or other base which results in an equitable 

distribution. The distribution base must exclude participant support costs as defined in § 200.1. Participant support costs.” 

Please note that only employees of the nonprofit organization are excluded from the definition of participant support costs. Costs 

related to contractors of the nonprofit organization who are acting in the capacity of a conference trainer/instructor/presenter/ 

facilitator are considered participant support costs. For more information on allowable costs for conferences and training, please 

visit https://ojp.gov/financialguide/doj/pdfs/DOJ_FinancialGuide.pdf. 

If you need additional information on an indirect cost rate negotiated agreement, go to the DOJ Grants Financial Guide at 

https://ojp.gov/financialguide/doj/index.htm. 

The “additional narrative” section should be used to describe the breakdown of the calculation as well as provide any additional 

calculations that make up the base cost. Include the expiration date and the cognizant agency name. 

Additional documentation that may need to be uploaded in the “Budget/Financial Attachments” section includes the following: 

• Current, signed, federally approved indirect cost rate negotiated agreement 

 If your organization does not have a provisional or current indirect cost rate negotiated agreement or it is expired and 

under review, the applicant must submit supporting documents to show the applicant’s cognizant federal agency is 

reviewing the request. The COPS Office may disallow or freeze access to indirect funds until a provisional or current 

indirect cost rate negotiated agreement is provided. 

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Ensure that each type of indirect cost rate (provisional, final, predetermined, fixed, etc.) is identified. For institutions of higher 

education and other institutions where multiple indirect rates are applied, please enter each indirect rate as a separate line item 

with calculation breakdown and description for which each rate applies. 

Unallowable Costs: Requests will not be funded 

There are no allowable costs in this section. For allowable costs, please see the “Allowable Costs" section above. The items 

listed in this section are generally considered unallowable and are rarely approved by the COPS Office. Before including any of 

these items in your budget and application, please contact the COPS Office at 800-421-6770. This is not an exhaustive 

unallowable costs list, and items not listed below will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The COPS Office reserves the right 

to deny funding for items not included on this unallowable cost list. Requests for reimbursement of items purchased, expenses 

incurred, or individuals hired prior to the award start date will not be funded. 

Unallowable Civilian personnel (base salary and fringe benefits) 

Base salary 

Typically, unallowable civilian personnel costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note: these are typically unallowable 

no matter which category they are placed under): 

• If your organization charges an indirect cost, those costs normally include the following positions and therefore these 

positions should not be charged as personnel costs to avoid possible duplication: 

 Administration (e.g., director or program head) 

 Clerical (e.g., secretary or administrative assistant) 

 Accounting (e.g., controller or bookkeeper) 

 Procurement (e.g., purchasing director or stockroom clerk) 

 Housekeeping and maintenance (e.g., custodial and janitorial, repairman, or grounds keeper) 

NOTE: These positions can be charged directly if the individual is working a significant amount of time on the project. 

This will be approved on a case-by-case basis and your narrative should significantly articulate the need to charge 

these directly if applicable. 

• For awards made to states or units of local government (including law enforcement agencies), salaries and benefits for 

positions (including exempt employees) that are already budgeted with state, local, or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) funds 

and would be funded in the absence of this COPS Office award are also not allowed. 

• Salaries and benefits of personnel that do not work directly on the project. 

• Salaries and benefits for contract or consultant personnel (these should be placed under ”Sub-awards” or "Procurement 

Contracts", as applicable). 

Unallowable Fringe benefits 

Typically, unallowable fringe benefit costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note: these are typically unallowable no 

matter which category they are placed under): 

• Bonuses or commissions 

• If your indirect cost rate agreement includes fringe benefits, you may not charge these costs directly to the project 

Unallowable Travel 

Typically, unallowable travel costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note: these are typically unallowable no matter 

which category they are placed under): 

• Bar charges/alcoholic beverages 

• Commuting costs to include to and from program location 

• Costs exceeding Federal Travel Regulations if no other organizational written policy is supplied that supersedes these 

established rates 

• Credit card fees 

• Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any associated costs (i.e. tickets to shows or sports 

events, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities) 

• Food and beverages at conferences, meetings, or trainings your organization is hosting 

• Foreign travel 

• GPS and Easy Pass rentals (when renting a car) 

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• Laundry services while on travel 

• Local travel costs (lodging, meals, per diem, or transportation costs) within a 50- mile radius of the project location 

• Mileage reimbursement, rental cars, parking fees, and/or taxi fare for local travel within a 50-mile radius of the project 

location 

• Paying for meals other than your own 

• Tips/gratuity 

Unallowable Equipment 

Typically, unallowable equipment/technology costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note: these are typically 

unallowable no matter which category they are placed under): 

• 3D printers and associated equipment 

• Ammunition (live and training) 

• Bayonets 

• Bikes and associated equipment 

• Biometric technology 

• Body armor 

• Body-worn cameras 

• Bomb detection technology 

• Bulletproof vests and accessories 

• Buses/shuttles/transit vans (purchasing or leasing) 

• Camouflage uniforms 

• Closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) 

• Communication boxes 

• Computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems/records management systems (RMS) 

• Copiers 

• Criminal intelligence systems 

• Electronic control weapons (ECW)/Tasers 

• Explosives 

• Firearm investigation equipment 

• Firearms (live and training) 

• Fitness equipment (including yoga equipment) 

• General law enforcement vehicles (including patrol cars and leased vehicles) 

• Golf carts/motorized personal vehicles 

• GPS devices 

• Grenade launchers 

• Gunshot detection equipment and technology 

• Handcuffs, weapons, and live ammunition 

• Laser spectroscopy devices 

• License plate readers (LPR) and associated software 

• Manned aircraft 

• Metal detectors 

• Mobile data terminals (MDT) 

• Militarized Equipment 

• Non-motorized vehicles 

• Radios 

• Recreation equipment (including tents and coolers) 

• Robotic cameras 

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• Servers 

• Shared items between projects—if equipment is to be used for concurrent projects, this should be captured in your indirect 

costs. If your organization does not have an indirect cost rate agreement, this may be proportionally charged as direct with 

prior approval. 

• Simunitions 

• Surveillance equipment 

• Tactical gear 

• Thermal imaging devices 

• Tracked (armored) vehicles 

• Traffic equipment (such as cones, message boards) 

• Trailers 

• Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) 

• Video surveillance (including security systems) 

• Weaponized aircraft, vessels, and vehicles of any kind 

Unallowable Supplies 

Typically, unallowable supply costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note: these are typically unallowable no matter 

which category they are placed under): 

• Body metric equipment such as blood pressure monitors and FitBits 

• Conference exhibit displays such as backdrops and retractable banners 

• Conference or event swag, including t-shirts, bags, or mugs 

• COVID-19 test kits 

• Displays, demonstrations, or exhibits 

• Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any associated costs (i.e. tickets to shows or sports 

events, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities) 

• Extracurricular expenses for youth programs, including t-shirts, meal plans, giveaways, swag bags, and games 

• Fitness and yoga supplies 

• Floor and wall mats/pads 

• Narcan 

• Promotional items and memorabilia, including challenge coins, pins, models, gifts, and souvenirs 

• Recreational supplies (such as Frisbees) 

• Shared items between projects—if supplies are to be used for concurrent projects, then this should be captured in your 

indirect charges or you should only charge the percentage allocated to this project (for example, if a laptop is being 

purchased for a research assistant who works 40 percent of their time on this project, then only charge 40 percent of the 

laptop cost to this project) 

• Trophies, medals, certificates, and other awards 

Unallowable Sub-awards 

The same unallowable costs identified across the different budget categories are also unallowable under sub-awards. 

Unallowable Procurement Contracts 

Typically, unallowable costs under procurement contracts include, but are not limited to, the following (Note: these are typically 

unallowable no matter which category they are placed under): 

• Compensation of federal employees—this category of unallowable costs includes salary payments, consulting fees, or other 

compensation to full-time federal employees. 

• Conference exhibit displays such as backdrops and retractable banners 

• Conference or event swag, including t-shirts, bags, or mugs 

• Construction costs 

• Criminal intelligence systems 

• Dietician/nutritionist 

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• Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any associated costs (e.g., tickets to shows or sports 

events, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities) 

• Food and beverages at conferences, meetings, or trainings your organization is hosting 

• Martial Arts Training 

• Maintenance and/or service contracts that extend the life of the award period (multiyear contracts and extended warranties 

are allowable but must be paid in full within the initial award period and must not exceed the award period) 

• Promotional items and memorabilia, including challenge coins, pins, models, gifts, and souvenirs 

• Servers 

• Shared items between projects—if supplies are to be used for concurrent projects, then this should be captured in your 

indirect charges or you should only charge the percentage allocated to this project (for example, if a laptop is being 

purchased for a research assistant who works 40 percent of their time on this project, then only charge 40 percent of the 

laptop cost to this project) 

Unallowable Other costs 

Typically, unallowable other costs include, but are not limited to, the following (Note: these are typically unallowable no matter 

which category they are placed under): 

• Advertising and public relations designed solely to promote the recipient Body metric equipment such as blood pressure 

monitors and FitBits 

• Conference or event swag, including t-shirts, bags, or mugs 

• Construction costs 

• Corporate formation (startup costs) 

• Costs for audits not required or performed in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133 

or 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart F – Audit Requirement are unallowable. If the applicant organization did not meet the 

applicable expenditure threshold during the organization’s fiscal year, the cost of any audit performed may not be charged 

to the award. 

• Costs incurred for intramural activities, student publications, student clubs, and other student activities 

• Criminal intelligence systems 

• Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, social activities, and any associated costs (e.g., tickets to shows or sports 

events, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities) 

• Extracurricular expenses for youth programs, including t-shirts, meal plans, giveaways, swag bags, and games 

• Fuel for general patrol vehicles 

• Gym memberships and subscriptions 

• Health screenings 

• Land acquisition including renting, leasing, or construction of buildings or other physical facilities 

• Live animals (including dogs and horses) including associated supplies, food, transportation, and veterinary expenses 

• Militarized equipment 

• Maintenance of vehicles and enhancements (such as mounts) 

• Massages 

• Membership fees to organizations whose primary activity is lobbying 

• Office rental/lease space, except for costs proportionate to work conducted under this solicitation (if included within an 

indirect cost rate negotiated agreement) 

• Personal protective equipment or gear 

• Promotional items and memorabilia, including challenge coins, pins, models, gifts, and souvenirs 

• Psychological screenings 

• Publishing services—the COPS Office provides editing, graphic design, and printing services for deliverables and other 

project materials; therefore, these costs cannot be directly charged unless approved on a case-by-case basis. 

• Rental costs are not allowable for property owned by the applicant or if the applicant has a financial interest in the property. 

In this case only the costs of ownership, including maintenance costs, insurance, depreciation, utilities, etc., are allowable 

costs. The applicant must indicate in the budget narrative whether or not they own the space that will be rented. 

• Scholarships, fellowships, and other programs for student aid (exceptions are for institutions for higher education) 

• Servers 

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• Simunitions 

• Sworn officer salaries and fringe benefits (except sworn overtime and related overtime FICA, worker’s compensation, and 

unemployment compensation fringe benefits – see allowable other costs section above) 

• Trophies, medals, certificates, and other awards 

• Uniforms (including helmets, boots) 

Consolidated Category Summary 

You will be able to review the category totals and the total project costs under this section. To make any changes to a particular 

category, please use the navigation on the right of the screen. 

Non-competitive Justification 

As applicable, applicants will attach the noncompetitive justification (or sole source justification). Additional guidance can be 

found in the Sole Source Justification fact sheet. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant].Sole Source.” 

Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other 

formats. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most 

recent system-validated version submitted. 

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) 

As applicable, applicants will attach the indirect cost rate agreement. Additional guidance can be found in the Indirect Cost 

Rate Agreement fact sheet. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant].Sole Source.” 

Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other 

formats. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most recent 

system- validated version submitted. 

Consultant Rate 

As applicable, applicants will attach the consultant rate justification. Additional guidance can be found in the Consultant Rate 

Justification fact sheet. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant].Sole Source.” 

Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other 

formats. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most 

recent system-validated version submitted. 

Budget Narrative 

Applicants must attach a separate budget narrative. The organization must create and attach a budget narrative that describes 

each item requested or group of similar items requested and links each item or group of items to the proposed project. All items 

will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and in context of the allowable and unallowable costs lists. 

Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to implement their proposed projects. The budget 

should display a clear link between the specific project activities and the proposed budget items. It should not contain any items 

that are not detailed in the applicant's response to the application survey questions. 

The separate budget narrative should thoroughly and clearly describe every category of expense listed in the budget detail 

worksheets contained in this application. The COPS Office expects proposed budgets to be complete, cost effective, and 

allowable (e.g., reasonable, allocable, and necessary for project activities). 

An applicant should demonstrate in its separate budget narrative how it will maximize cost effectiveness of award expenditures. 

Budget narratives should generally describe cost effectiveness in relation to potential alternatives and the goals of the project. 

For example, a budget narrative should detail why planned in-person meetings are necessary, or how technology and 

collaboration with outside organizations could be used to reduce costs, without compromising quality. Consideration will be given 

to budget proposals that maximize the direct funding that supports project activities. 

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The budget narrative should be mathematically sound and correspond clearly with the information provided in the budget detail 

worksheets. The narrative should explain how the applicant estimated and calculated all costs and how those costs are 

necessary to the completion of the proposed project. The narrative may include tables for clarification purposes but need not be 

in a spreadsheet format. The budget should describe costs by year and should cover the full project period of two years. 

In some circumstances, the budget and budget narrative will be reviewed separately from the applicant’s response to the 

application survey questions. Therefore, it is very important that the budget narrative be as comprehensive as possible and 

describe in a narrative format each line item requested in the budget. The budget narrative should not be used to explain 

deliverables or project activities that are not included in the applicant’s response to the application survey questions/ proposal 

narrative. Deliverables and activities that are solely listed in the budget narrative and not described in the applicant’s response to 

the application survey questions (and vice versa) will be scored negatively during the peer review process. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[Applicant]. Sole Source.” 

Recommended file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other 

formats. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most 

recent system-validated version submitted. 

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Other Supportive Documents 

As applicable, applicants will attach the any memoranda of understanding or partner agreements in this section. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant].MOU.” Recommended file 

formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an applicant 

submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most recent system-validated 

version submitted. 

Additional Application Components 

As applicable, applicants will attach the following additional application attachments in this section: 

• Timeline of project deliverables, milestones, activities and who will complete the activities 

• Letters of Support 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant].Resume.” Recommended 

file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an 

applicant submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most recent systemvalidated version submitted. 

Letters of Support 

As applicable, applicants will attach letters of support. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant].Resume.” Recommended 

file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an 

applicant submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most recent systemvalidated version submitted. 

Timeline 

Applicants must attach a separate timeline of project deliverables, which are mapped to the goals and objectives of the proposed 

initiative, and include milestones, activities and who will complete the activities. The timeline attachment should be uploaded in 

the "Additional Application Components" section of this application. If awarded funding, the information provided in the timeline 

attachment will be used in performance reporting and recipients will have to provide a status on the goals, objectives, 

deliverables, timeline. The COPS Office encourages applicants to review and link their goals and objectives to the solicitation 

goals and requirements. 

The COPS Office strongly recommends that uploaded files be clearly named to indicate the applicant organization name and the 

file contents to ensure that reviewers can easily locate application documents. All other attachments—such as letters of support 

and résumés—should use descriptive file names identified on the attachment(s) such as “[ Applicant]. Resume.” Recommended 

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file formats are PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. The system may reject applications with other formats. If an 

applicant submits multiple versions of the same document, the COPS Office will review only the most recent systemvalidated version submitted. 

Disclosure and Assurances 

Declaration and Certification toDOJas toApplication Submission 

Applicants must read and acknowledge the statements in the Declaration and Certification. 

Federal Civil Rights and Award Review 

Please be advised that an application may not be funded and, if awarded, a hold may be placed on the award if it is deemed that 

the applicant is not in compliance with federal civil rights laws, and/or is not cooperating with an ongoing federal civil rights 

investigation, and/or is not cooperating with a U.S. Department of Justice award review or audit. 

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 

Important – all applicants must complete the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities in Grants.gov prior to beginning the 

application process in JustGrants. NOTE: Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in 

the required highlighted fields. 

This disclosure form shall be completed by the reporting entity, whether subawardee or prime federal recipient, at the initiation or 

receipt of a covered federal action, or a material change to a previous filing, pursuant to title 31 U.S.C. § 1352. The filing of a 

form is required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying entity for influencing or attempting to influence 

an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member 

of Congress in connection with a covered federal action. Complete all items that apply for both the initial filing and material 

change report. Refer to the implementing guidance published by the Office of Management and Budget for additional 

information. 

If this applies to your organization, you are required to complete the disclosure from via Grants.gov . If you need to submit 

additional forms, please submit them as attachments to your application online in the "Additional Application Components" 

section. 

Please see the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) programs under the COPS Office "How to 

Apply" webpage for a blank SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form. 

The filing of a SF-LLL form is required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying entity for influencing or 

attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an 

employee of a Member of Congress in connection with a covered federal action. 

Please see FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs under the COPS Office “How to 

Apply” webpage for a copy of the SF-LLL with instructions for completing this form. 

DOJ Certified Standard Assurances 

Applicants to COPS Office programs are required to sign and acknowledge the standard Assurances form in JustGrants. Signing 

this document assures the COPS Office that you have read and understood and that you accept the award terms and conditions 

as outlined in the Assurances. 

Please read this document carefully, as signatures on this document is treated as material representation of fact upon which 

reliance will be placed when the U.S. Department of Justice determines to award the covered award. See “Terms and 

Conditions,” and full assurances and certifications, which can all be found in the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing 

Advancement (CPA) programs under the COPS Office "How to Apply" webpage. 

DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; 

and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and Community Policing 

Applicants to COPS Office programs are required to sign and acknowledge the standard Certifications form in JustGrants. 

Signing this document assures the COPS Office that you have read and understood and that you accept the award terms and 

conditions as outlined in the Certifications. 

Please read this document carefully, as signatures on this document is treated as material representation of fact upon which 

reliance will be placed when the U.S. Department of Justice determines to award the covered award. See “Terms and 

Conditions,” and full assurances and certifications, which can all be found in the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing 

Advancement (CPA) programs under the COPS Office "How to Apply" webpage. 

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An explanation when the applicant is unable to certify to certain statements in the “Certifications Regarding Lobbying; 

Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law Enforcement and 

Community Policing” form (if applicable)—When the applicant is unable to certify to specific statements identified in this 

Certifications form, the applicant must attach an explanation. The applicant is still required to sign the Certifications form to 

certify to all the other applicable statements. Please see the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) 

programs under the COPS Office "How to Apply" web page for a copy of this Certifications form. 

a. the applicant understands that as a general rule COPS Office funding may not be used for the same item or service 

funded through another funding source, and 

b. the applicant and any required or identified official partner(s) listed in this application mutually agreed to this 

partnership prior to submission. 

How to Apply 

Federal regulations require that an applicant for federal funding: (1) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (2) 

provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current 

information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal 

awarding agency. The COPS Office may not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable 

unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time the 

COPS Office is ready to make an award, then the COPS office may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an 

award. See 2 C.F.R. §§ 25.200, 25.205 and the Award Terms and Conditions for further information. 

Please follow the steps listed below to ensure your application is submitted by the deadline for this solicitation. Applicants should 

register online with SAM and with Grants.gov well in advance of the JustGrants deadline. 

• Step 1: Register with SAM database/Confirm Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number 

The Unique Entity ID issued by SAM is a 12-character alphanumeric value and once issued will not change. Entities that 

are currently registered in SAM.gov already have a Unique Entity ID (SAM) which can be viewed in SAM.gov. The transition 

to UEI (SAM) will not impact an entity’s registration expiration date or when renewal is necessary. 

System of Award Management (SAM) registration and renewal can take as long as 10 business days to complete . 

If you do not have an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the process can take up to 5 weeks to obtain an EIN from the 

Internal Revenue Service. There is no fee associated with these processes. These processes cannot be expedited. 

SAM registration procedures can be accessed at www.sam.gov. 

The person registering with SAM will be the designated SAM E-Business Point of Contact, who can assign the people who 

submit applications for the organization (your Authorized Organization Representatives). In addition, you must review your 

SAM registration once a year. 

• Step 2: Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a Grants.gov username and password. 

Complete the AOR profile on Grants.gov and create a username and password. An applicant entity’s “unique entity 

identifier” must be used to complete this step. For more information about the registration process for organizations and 

other entities, visit the Grants.gov registration page. 

Individuals registering with Grants.gov may visit the Applicant Registration page. 

Step 2: Register with SAM database/Confirm SAM number 

System of Award Management (SAM) registration and renewal can take as long as 10 business days to complete. 

If you do not have an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the process can take up to 5 weeks. 

SAM registration procedures can be accessed at www.sam.gov. The person registering with SAM will be the designated 

SAM E-Business Point of Contact, who can assign the people who submit applications for the organization (your Authorized 

Organization Representatives). You must have a DUNS number to submit a SAM registration. In addition, you must review 

your SAM registration once a year. 

• Step 3: Acquire confirmation for the AOR from the E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC). 

The SAM E-Biz POC at the applicant organization must log into Grants.gov to confirm the applicant organization’s AOR. 

The E-Biz POC will need the Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN) password obtained when registering with 

SAM to complete this step. Note that an organization can have more than one AOR. 

• Step 4: Search for the funding opportunity on Grants.gov. 

Search using the Assistance Listing title and the funding opportunity number from the solicitation. 

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• Step 5: Access Funding Opportunity and Application Package from Grants.gov. 

Select “Apply for Grants” under the “Applicants” column. Enter your email address to be notified of any changes to the 

opportunity package before the closing date. Click the Workspace icon to use Grants.gov Workspace. 

• Step 6: Complete and Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL via Grants.gov. 

Within 48 hours after submitting the SF-424 and SF-LLL, the applicant should receive two notifications from Grants.gov. 

The first will confirm the receipt of the SF-424 and SF-LLL. The second will state whether the SF-424 and SF- LLL has been 

validated and successfully submitted, or whether it has been rejected due to errors, with an explanation. It is possible to first 

receive a message indicating that the application is received, and then receive a rejection notice a few minutes or hours 

later. Submitting the SF-424 and the SF-LLL well ahead of the Grants.gov deadline provides time to correct the problem(s) 

that caused the rejection. 

Important: DOJ urges each applicant to submit the SF-424 and the SF-LLL at least 72 hours prior to the Grants.gov due 

date, to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely 

fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification. Verify the application deadline (date and time) in the 

solicitation. 

• Step 7: Register the Entity Administrator (E-Biz POC) and the Application Submitter with DOJ’s Justice Grants 

System (JustGrants). 

New Entity without a JustGrants Account 

Within 24 hours of JustGrants receiving an application from Grants.gov, the user submitting the application in Grants.gov 

and SAM E-Biz POC will receive an email to register for a JustGrants account. The email is from DOJ’s secure user 

management system (DIAMD) and will include instructions on how to create an account. 

To ensure that you receive these emails and that they are not flagged as spam, we recommend adding “DIAMDNoReply@usdoj.gov” to the trusted sender list in your email settings. 

The E-Biz POC at the applicant organization serves as the Entity Administrator and must log-in to JustGrants to confirm the 

entity’s profile, add users, and assign the two required Authorized Representatives (Law Enforcement Executive/Program 

Official and Government Executive/ Financial Official). The Authorized Representatives are officials who have ultimate and 

final responsibility for all programmatic and financial decisions for your agency, as the legal recipient. For guidance on who 

should be assigned as Authorized Representatives, please see below: 

For law enforcement agencies, COPS Office awards require that both the top law enforcement executive (e.g., chief of 

police, sheriff, or equivalent) and the top government executive (e.g., mayor, board chairman, or equivalent) sign the 

application, and (if awarded funding) accept the award package. Both the top law enforcement executive and the top 

government executive must be assigned the role of Authorized Representative in Just Grants. 

For non–law enforcement agencies (institutions of higher education, school districts, private organizations, etc.), COPS 

Office awards require that both the programmatic official (e.g., executive director, chief executive officer, or equivalent) and 

financial official (e.g., chief financial officer, treasurer, or equivalent) sign the application, and (if awarded funding) accept 

the award package. These two officials must have the ultimate signatory authority to sign contracts on behalf of your 

organization. Both the programmatic official and the financial official must be assigned the role of Authorized 

Representative in Just Grants. 

Please note that nonexecutive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) are not acceptable Authorized Representatives. 

The user who submitted the application in Grants.gov serves as the Application Submitter. Within minutes of completing 

your JustGrants account registration, the Application Submitter and the E-Biz POC (Entity Administrator) users will receive 

an email from JustGrants with a link to the application started in Grants.gov. 

Application Submitters and E-Biz POC Users with a JustGrants Account 

• Step 8: Review and Invite the Two Required Authorized Representatives in JustGrants 

The Entity Administrator will need to log-in to JustGrants to review and assign the required two Authorized Representatives 

(Law Enforcement Executive/ Program Official and Government Executive/Financial Official).The Authorized 

Representatives are officials who have ultimate and final responsibility for all programmatic and financial decisions for your 

agency, as the legal recipient. For guidance on who should be assigned as Authorized Representatives, please see 

guidance above: 

If an Authorized Representative needs to be invited, the Entity Administrator will need to invite the individual to receive a 

JustGrants account. These actions are required before an application can be submitted. 

Within minutes of being invited to be an Authorized Representative, the individual will receive an email from DIAMDNoReply@usdoj.gov with instructions on how to create an account in DOJ’s secure user management system. 

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Once the Authorized Representatives receives the email and completes the steps to create an account, the Authorized 

Representative will be available in JustGrants. 

Review the “JustGrants User Roles Guide“ to become familiar with the various JustGrants Entity User roles. 

• Step 9: Complete and Submit the JustGrants Application 

The Application Submitter will complete the application by entering data into web-based forms, uploading attachments, and 

accepting assurances and certifications. Before you submit your application, each section much be completed and free of 

validation errors. If not, please return to each identified page using the table of contents on the right side of the page. If any 

required fields are unanswered, they will be flagged with warning messages. In this case, answer these required fields. You 

will not be able to submit your application until all validation issues are corrected and the application is certified. 

The Application Submitter will also need to confirm the required two Authorized Representatives (Law Enforcement 

Executive/Program Official and Government Executive/Financial Official). 

The Application Submitter will need to select two authorized representatives via dropdown field in the “Confirm Authorized 

Representative” section of the application. The dropdown will display all authorized representatives that have been 

assigned for your entity ( the Application Submission Job Aid Reference Guide for this step). 

If you do not see authorized representatives for your entity in the dropdown field within the “Confirm Authorized 

Representative” section of the application, you will need to add and assign the role for each authorized representative for 

your entity. Please note: the COPS Office requires two authorized representatives (Law Enforcement Executive and 

Government Executive) for its grant applications. Users will not be visible in JustGrants until they have successfully logged 

into JustGrants. If you need assistance adding users and assigning roles for your entity, please refer to the Entity 

Management Job Aid Reference Guide. 

Once all sections are completed, the application submitter will submit the application. Upon successful submission of an 

application, the Application Submitter, Entity Administrator, and the two Authorized Representatives will receive an email 

from JustGrants confirming submission of the application. The COPS Office will not accept applications submitted via mail 

or email. 

• Step 10: Confirm Receipt of JustGrants Application 

The Application Submitter should closely monitor their email and JustGrants accounts for any notifications from Grants.gov 

or JustGrants about a possible failed submission. The user who is authorized to submit applications on behalf of the 

organization is the one who will receive these notifications. The COPS Office does not send out these notifications, nor 

does the COPS Office receive a copy of these notifications. It is the applicant’s responsibility to notify the COPS Office of 

any problems with the application submission process. 

Submitting the application components at least 48 hours prior to the solicitation deadline will enable the applicant to 

receive notice of a failed submission and provide an opportunity to correct the error before the applicable deadline. 

Submission Dates and Time 

All completed applications must be submitted by the deadline. 

Late Submissions 

The COPS Office will review on a case-by-case basis requests for late submission due to unforeseen technical issues or 

extraordinary events such as extreme weather emergencies or mass casualty events. 

Requests for an extension of the Grants.gov deadline must be received prior to the close of the solicitation in Grants.gov. 

Requests for an extension of the JustGrants deadline must be made prior to the close of the solicitation in JustGrants. No late 

submission requests will be considered once the solicitation closes. Extension of deadlines is rare and is not guaranteed. 

To be considered for an extension, applicants must contact the COPS Office Response Center via email at 

AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov detailing the technical/extraordinary issues that impact application submission. This must be 

submitted prior to the deadline for which the applicant is requesting an extension. The applicant’s email must include the 

following information: UEI number, Organization name, Point of contact name and information, Application ID, and the nature of 

the issue/disaster and how it affected the applicant’s ability to submit an application on time. The email subject line should read 

“FY23 CPD De-Escalation Program Extraordinary Circumstances: UEI number, Agency Name, Application ID”; with your UEI 

number and organization name included in the subject line. 

The COPS Office will respond to each applicant as soon as possible with an approval and instructions for submission, or a 

rejection. If the technical issues you reported cannot be validated, the application will be rejected. 

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The following conditions are not valid reasons to request an extension: (1) failure to begin the registration process in sufficient 

time; (2) failure to follow instructions on Grants.gov or JustGrants; (3) failure of the two assigned authorized representatives, with 

the proper authority, to activate accounts in JustGrants prior to application submission; (4) failure to follow all of the instructions 

in the solicitation; (5) failure to register or update information on the SAM website; and (6) failure to register or complete the SF424 and SF-LLL in grants.gov. 

Application Review Information 

The COPS Office is committed to ensuring a fair and open process for making awards. The COPS Office will review the 

application to make sure that the information presented is reasonable, understandable, measurable, achievable, and consistent 

with the solicitation. 

To maintain the integrity of the competitive solicitation process, the COPS Office can provide publicly available technical 

assistance regarding the mechanics of the application but cannot evaluate the merits of an application during the open 

solicitation period. 

Review Process 

Applications will undergo a standard review and selection process, which includes a review of basic minimum requirements, peer 

review panel ratings, administrative compliance review, a senior leadership review and recommendation panel, and director’s 

selection. A description of each phase is provided in the following sections. Applicants are encouraged to review their own 

applications prior to submission, with particular attention given to the Basic Minimum Requirements and each of the Review 

Criteria specified in the descriptions that follow. 

Basic Minimum Requirements review 

Once the solicitation closes, COPS Office staff screen and evaluate applications for compliance with basic minimum 

requirements (BMR). Applications should be written with clarity, organization, and soundness in the proposed work, with all 

mandatory attachments. 

BMR review criteria 

Applications that are missing any of the following basic minimum requirements will be disqualified and therefore not peer 

reviewed. 

• Applicant must respond to 80 percent or more of the application questions. Applicant must provide a separate budget 

narrative that is 60 percent or more allowable. 

• The applicant must be a state, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement agency. 

• The proposed project must be within the scope of the solicitation. 

Peer review 

Peer review will evaluate applications that meet the eligibility basic minimum requirements. The COPS Office may use internal 

peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination to assess applications on technical merit using the solicitation’s 

review. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given topic area who is not a current federal employee. 

An internal peer reviewer is a current federal employee who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject matter of the 

subcategory. Peer feedback is advisory only, although reviewer views are considered carefully. 

Peer reviewers will be asked to review applications based on the application subcategory and the goal of the solicitation to 

develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community policing strategies by providing guidance on promising 

practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective practices and 

outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities. Reviewers will also 

be asked to consider the subcategory-specific solicited goals, requirements, and deliverables described in the solicitation 

language. 

Upon completion of their reviews, peer reviewers will recommend applications that should advance to Senior Leadership 

Review. 

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Applications will be evaluated based on the following merit criteria, which the applicant addresses in their application, budget 

narrative, budget worksheets, and other attachments. Applications that are not responsive to the solicitation or duplicative of 

past or ongoing federally funded work will be evaluated accordingly. Although not an exhaustive list, at a minimum, reviewers will 

be asked to evaluate applications according to the following criteria: 

Problem Identification andProject Description (30percent) 

• Identifies the selected training topics that will be implemented in the proposed initiative. 

• Describes agency’s overall philosophy towards the selected training topics (De- Escalation, Implicit Bias, and Duty to 

Intervene Techniques) and why it is important that officers are equipped with this knowledge and skill. 

• Clearly identifies how the project fulfils a specific public safety need. 

• Describes the major activities of the training project and how the project will establish or enhance agency de-escalation 

efforts. 

• Describes how the AR/VR system (if requested) will contribute to the agency's broader training efforts in de-escalation, 

implicit bias, or duty to intervene. 

• Describes each training curriculum and how the agency intends to implement (De- Escalation, Implicit Bias, and Duty to 

Intervene Techniques) and identify the course titles, their authors/developers, the planned instructors, and any vendors that 

may be contracted with federal funds for delivery. 

• Identifies how the proposed project will assist their agency in implementing or institutionalizing community policing. 

• Describes the final deliverables of the project and how they contribute to the solicitation goals and requirements. 

• Describe any other areas of organizational improvement the agency intends to implement to complement the training efforts 

proposed in their application. Examples include roll call videos and/or toolkits, policy changes, data collection and analysis, 

supervisory oversight, and incident review. 

Project Reach and Impact (20 percent) 

• Identifies how many officers will be impacted by the proposed training project that otherwise would not have been because 

of this award (e.g., number of officers trained, etc.). 

• Identifies any current governmental, community or agency initiatives that complement or will be coordinated with the 

proposed activities. 

• Identifies specific outcomes the agency expects to accomplish with the funding and how will the project team track or 

measure them (e.g. What data will you gather in order to assist with evaluating the effectiveness of the program, why the 

data was chosen, and how will you measure de-escalation success?) 

• Describes how these efforts could be sustained once the award ends. 

Management and Implementation (30 percent) 

• Describes the overall management and implementation plan for the project including identification of any key community or 

other stakeholder partnerships (community groups, private and/or public agencies) that will play a role in the implementation 

of this project. 

• Identifies key project staff and their experience as well as the agency capacity to carry out the project. 

• Describes how the agency plans to inform members of your organization of the policies and/or procedures from this project 

for oversight and management? 

• Describes how the agency plans to engage members of the community regarding the policies and/or procedures developed 

from this project for local involvement and effective community policing? 

Budget (20 percent) 

• Provides a detailed budget narrative with costs that are allowable, appropriate, and reasonable relative to the level of effort 

and critical to the completion of the project 

• Provides a budget narrative that adequately justifies the budget and matches the feasibility and intent of the proposed 

project 

• Provides a detailed budget that matches the tasks and deliverable(s) outlined in their application 

• Provides detailed breakdowns of each budget category and justification for total costs, such as per unit over time or 

reasonable estimate at time of application submission 

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• Provides appropriate budget justification documentation which may include a current indirect cost rate agreement, sole 

source justification, and consultant rate justification 

• Identifies how strategy makes use of time and cost saving methods for conducting project work to achieving goals and 

objectives while not sacrificing quality outcomes 

Priority points for supporting executive order 14074 

In addition to the criteria listed above, the COPS will provide priority points for agencies complying with activities that support 

Executive Order 14074: Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and 

Public Safety. To receive this consideration, COPS Office applicants must respond to the Supporting Executive Order 14074 

survey questions at the time of application in JustGrants. For more details, please refer to the section below on the Executive 

Order 14074. 

Administrative compliance review 

All advancing applications will undergo an administrative compliance review. Past financial and programmatic performance with 

DOJ award funding will be considered in this review process. Past performance may affect the overall rating and ranking of an 

application. Factors that may be included in the past performance review are: 

• the extent to which the applicant has adhered to all special conditions in the prior awards, 

• the extent to which the applicant has complied with programmatic and financial reporting requirements, 

• the extent to which the applicant has completed closeout of prior awards in a timely manner, 

• whether the applicant has received financial clearances in a timely manner, 

• whether the applicant has resolved any issues identified in an audit or on-site monitoring visit in a timely manner, 

• whether the applicant has adhered to single audit requirements, and 

• the extent to which the applicant has completed work and spent prior award funds in a timely manner. 

Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (“Uniform Guidance”), before award decisions are made, the COPS Office also reviews 

information related to the degree of risk posed by applicants. Among other things to help assess whether an applicant with one 

or more prior federal awards has a satisfactory record with respect to performance, integrity, and business ethics, the COPS 

Office checks whether the applicant is listed in SAM as excluded from receiving a federal award. The COPS Office also must 

review and consider any information about the applicant that appears in the nonpublic segment of the integrity and performance 

system accessible through SAM (currently, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, “FAPIIS”). 

Applicants may review and comment on any information about them in SAM that a federal awarding agency previously entered 

in the designated integrity and performance system, and such applicant comments will also be reviewed and considered. 

The COPS Office may contact applicants regarding budget and financial questions as part of the review process. This outreach 

is not an indication of funds or awarding decisions. 

Senior Leadership Review 

The Senior Leadership Review is conducted by senior-ranking federal employees. During this process all advancing applications 

from peer review are evaluated based on peer review feedback, administrative compliance review, past performance, project 

scope, and budget. 

Senior Leadership will submit formal recommendations for funding to the COPS Office Director. 

Director’s selection 

Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, all final award decisions will be made by 

the Director of the COPS Office, who may also give consideration to factors including prior funding history, current award 

balances, underserved populations, population served, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, significant 

concerns regarding ability of the applicant to administer federal funds, and available funding when making awards. 

Executive Order14074: Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to 

Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety 

Executive Order 14074, Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and 

Public Safety requires the Attorney General, through discretionary grantmaking and training and technical assistance, to 

encourage and support State, Tribal, local, and territorial governments and law enforcement agencies to adopt the policies, best 

practices, and guidelines addressed in the executive order, including, but not limited to: (i) investigating deaths in custody; (ii) 

recruiting and retaining diverse and service-oriented law enforcement professionals; (iii) collecting and reporting use of force and 

misconduct data; (iv) improving community and law enforcement dialogue; (v) responding to individuals in mental health crisis or 

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with disabilities; (vi) the proper and responsible use of technology; (vii) restrictions on unannounced entries and certain 

restraints; (viii) addressing implicit bias; (ix) restricting the use of militarized equipment; (x) broader criminal justice reform; and, 

(xi) officer wellness and mental health. 

As such guidance is developed in accordance with the executive order, and where the guidance is applicable to the specific 

solicitation, DOJ will identify specific opportunities for training and technical assistance and priority consideration for applications 

that demonstrate or seek to support the policies of the Executive Order. 

For the purposes of this solicitation, COPS will provide priority consideration for the following items, where appropriate, for which 

the DOJ has already issued policies, guidance, and/or best practices: 

1. participation in the collection and reporting to DOJ of data on law enforcement use of force and deaths in custody; 

2. participation in the collection and reporting to DOJ of data on officer suicides and officers killed and assaulted; 

3. restrictions on unannounced entries and neck/carotid restraints; and, 

4. restrictions on the possession and use of militarized equipment. 

To receive this consideration, COPS Office applicants must respond to questions at the time of application in JustGrants. 

Federal Award Administration Information 

Award decisions 

It is anticipated that awards will be announced on or after October 1, 2023. Award notification will be sent electronically. Any 

public announcements will be posted on the COPS Office website. 

All award decisions are final and not subject to appeal. 

To officially accept and begin your award, your organization must access your award package at https://justgrants.usdoj.gov/. 

Once you access your account, you will review and electronically sign the award document (including award terms and 

conditions) and, if applicable, the special award conditions or high risk conditions within 45 days of the date shown on the award 

congratulatory letter, unless an extension is requested and granted. The two assigned Authorized Representatives described 

above (Law Enforcement Executive/Program Official and Government Executive/Financial Official) are required to sign the 

award package. If the Authorized Representative(s) changes between the time of application submission and award receipt, the 

Entity Administrator will need to update the Authorized Representative(s) in JustGrants. Your organization will not be able to 

draw down award funds until the COPS Office receives your signed award document. For more information on accepting your 

award, please visit the JustGrants Training page for step-by-step instructions. 

For technical support with JustGrants, please call JustGrants Support at JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov, or 833-872-5175. 

For programmatic assistance, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or 800-421-6770. 

The award package 

The award package is the document indicating your official award funding amount, the award number, the award terms and 

conditions, and award start and end dates. 

The award start date indicated on the award package means that your organization may be reimbursed for any allowable costs 

incurred on or after this date. The duration of awards is 24 months. 

Your FY 2023 award number is in the following format: 15JCOPS-23-XX-XXXXX-XXXX. The COPS Office tracks award 

information based upon this number. Therefore, it is important to have your organization’s award number (or your organization’s 

UEI number) readily available when corresponding with the COPS Office. 

The award terms and conditions are listed in the award package. In limited circumstances, your award package may include 

additional special conditions or high- risk conditions that prevent your organization from drawing down or accessing award funds 

until the special conditions or high-risk conditions are satisfied as determined by the COPS Office. 

By accepting the award, you are acknowledging that you are obtaining federal funds from the COPS Office. As part of that 

agreement, if awarded funds, your organization will acknowledge that it will comply with all applicable award terms and 

conditions including any special or high-risk conditions. 

Administrative and national policy requirements 

If selected for funding, in addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the approved project proposal and budget, 

the recipient must comply with award terms and conditions, and other legal requirements including, but not limited to, OMB, 

DOJ, or other federal regulations that will be included in the award or incorporated into the award by reference or are otherwise 

applicable to the award. 

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Please see general terms and conditions in the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs, 

which is located on the COPS Office "How to Apply" web page. 

Terms, conditions and award requirements 

Table 1 lists the terms, conditions, and award requirements that applicants should be aware of before applying to this COPS 

Office program Please review carefully the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs, found 

under the COPS Office “How to Apply” web page, for a full description of each of the listed terms, conditions, and other 

requirements for this COPS Office program. By submitting your application, your organization assures the COPS Office that you 

agree to the below terms, conditions, and requirements. If awarded funds, by accepting your COPS Office award, your 

organization agrees to comply with all of the terms, conditions, and other requirements in your award package and any 

additional special or high risk conditions that may be imposed on your award. 

Table 1. Terms, conditions, and award requirements 

Section number Award term, condition, or requirement 

I & II Assurances and Certifications (also refer to “U.S. Department of Justice Certified Standard 

Assurances and U.S. Department of Justice Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, 

Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; Law 

Enforcement and Community Policing” of this Guide and Standard Application forms). 

III Disclosure of Lobbying Activities 

IV Supplementing, Not Supplanting 

V Procurement and Sole Source Justification 

VI System for Award Management (SAM) and Universal Identifier Requirements 

VII Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA)—Reporting Subaward and 

Executive Compensation 

VIII Contract Provisions 

IX Prior Approval Planning and Reporting of Conference/Meting/Training Costs 

X Restriction on Internal Confidentiality Agreements 

XI Mandatory Disclosure 

XII Debarment and Suspension 

XIII Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters 

XIV False Statements 

XV Duplicative Funding 

XVI Additional High-Risk Recipient Requirements 

XVII Modifications 

XVIII Evaluations 

XIX Allowable Costs 

XX Equal Employment Opportunity Plan 

XXI 

XXII 

Employment Eligibility 

Enhancement of Contractor Protection from Reprisal for Disclosure of Certain Information 

XXIII Federal Civil Rights 

XXIV Conflict of Interest 

XXV Reports/Performance Goals 

XXVI Extensions 

XXVII Computer Network Requirement 

XXVIII Award Monitoring Activities 

XXIX Public Release Information 

XXX Paperwork Reduction Act 

XXXI Copyright 

XXXII Human Subjects Research 

XXXIII Domestic Preferences in Procurement 

Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment 

XXXV Termination 

XXXVI Award Owner’s Manual 

XXXVII Travel Costs 

XXXVIII Authorized Representative Responsibility 

Determination of Suitability for Youth-Centered Awards 

Information Data Breach 

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Other Requirements 

Please review carefully the FY23 Reference Guide for Community Policing Advancement (CPA) Programs, located on the COPS 

"How to Apply" webpage, which provides a full description of each of the listed requirements below for this COPS Office 

program. 

• Curriculum development 

• Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging While Driving 

• Increasing Seat Belt Use in the United States 

Administrative actions and legal remedies related to federal awards 

Please be advised that an application may not be funded or, if awarded, a hold may be placed on this application if it is deemed 

that the applicant is not in compliance with federal civil rights laws, is not cooperating with an ongoing federal civil rights 

investigation, or is not cooperating with a U.S. Department of Justice award review or audit. 

Misuse of COPS Office funds or failure to comply with all COPS Office award requirements may result in legal sanctions 

including suspension and termination of award funds, the repayment of expended funds, ineligibility to receive additional COPS 

Office funding, and other remedies available by law. 

Under the False Claims Act, any credible evidence that a person has submitted a false claim or has committed a criminal or civil 

violation of laws pertaining to fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, gratuity, or similar misconduct involving COPS Office funds may 

be referred to the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG may be contacted at oig.hotline@usdoj.gov, 

https://oig.justice.gov/hotline/index.htm, or 800-869-4499. 

Remedies for noncompliance 

Under 2 C.F.R. § 200.339, if the recipient fails to comply with award terms and conditions, the Federal awarding agency may 

impose additional conditions or take one or more of the following actions as appropriate in the circumstances: 

• Temporarily withhold cash payments pending correction of the deficiency by the non-Federal entity or more severe 

enforcement action by the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity. 

• Disallow (that is, deny both use of funds and any applicable matching credit for) all or part of the cost of the activity or action 

not in compliance. 

• Wholly or partly suspend or terminate the Federal award. 

• Initiate suspension or debarment proceedings as authorized under 2 CFR part 180 and Federal awarding agency 

regulations (or in the case of a pass-through entity, recommend such a proceeding be initiated by a Federal awarding 

agency). 

• Withhold further Federal awards for the project or program. 

• Take other remedies that may be legally available. 

Prior to imposing sanctions, the COPS Office will provide reasonable notice to the recipient of its intent to impose sanctions and 

will attempt to resolve the problem informally. Appeal procedures will follow those in the U.S. Department of Justice regulations 

in 28 C.F.R. Part 18. 

Awards terminated due to noncompliance with the federal statutes, regulations, or award terms and conditions will be reported to 

the integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS). 

False statements or claims made in connection with COPS Office awards may result in fines, imprisonment, debarment from 

participating in federal awards or contracts, and any other remedy available by law. 

Please be advised that recipients may not use COPS Office funding for the same item or service also funded by another U.S. 

Department of Justice award. 

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424, please call the Grants.gov customer service hotline at 800-518-4726, send 

questions via email to support@Grants.gov, or consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide. The Grants.gov 

Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. 

For technical support with the Justice Grants System (JustGrants) application, please contact the JustGrants Support at 

JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov, or 833-872-5175. The JustGrants Support operates Monday through Friday between the 

hours of 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. 

Training on JustGrants can also be found at https://justicegrants.usdoj.gov/training-resources. 

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For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program, please call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-

6770 or send questions via email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday through 

Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays. 

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552 and 5 U.S.C. § 552a) 

All applications submitted to the COPS Office (including all attachments to applications) are subject to the federal Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA) and to the Privacy Act. By law, DOJ may withhold information that is responsive to a request if DOJ 

determines that the responsive information is protected from disclosure under the Privacy Act or falls within the scope of one or 

more of the nine statutory exemptions under FOIA. DOJ cannot agree in advance of a request pursuant to the FOIA not to 

release some or all portions of an application/award file. 

In its review of records that are responsive to a FOIA request, the COPS Office will withhold information in those records that 

plainly falls within the scope of the Privacy Act or one of the statutory exemptions under FOIA. (Some examples include certain 

types of information in budgets and names and contact information for project staff other than certain key personnel.) In 

appropriate circumstances, the COPS Office will request the views of the applicant/recipient that submitted a responsive 

document. 

Feedback to the COPS Office 

To assist the COPS Office in improving its application and award processes, we encourage applicants to provide feedback on 

this solicitation, the application submission process, and/or the application review/peer review process. Provide feedback via 

email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov with the following subject line “FY23 CPD De-Escalation Program Feedback.” 

IMPORTANT: This email is for feedback and suggestions only. Replies are not sent from this mailbox. If you have specific 

questions on any program or technical aspect of the solicitation, you must contact the COPS Office Response Center at 

AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or 800-421-6770. 

COPS Other Information 

Reporting, Monitoring, and Evaluation Requirements 

Reporting 

If awarded, your organization will be required to submit quarterly Federal Financial Reports as well as semiannual Programmatic 

Performance Reports. Recipient should be prepared to track and report program award funding separately from other funding 

sources (including other COPS Office federal awards) to ensure accurate financial and programmatic reporting on a timely basis. 

Recipients should ensure that they have financial internal controls in place to monitor the use of program funding and ensure 

that its use is consistent with the award terms and conditions. Good stewardship in this area includes written accounting 

practices, and use of an accounting system that tracks all award drawdowns and expenditures, and the ability to track when 

award-funded positions are filled or approved purchases are made. Failure to submit complete reports or submit them in a timely 

manner may result in the suspension and possible termination of a recipient’s COPS Office award funding or other remedial 

actions. 

Monitoring 

Federal law requires that agencies receiving federal funding from the COPS Office be monitored to ensure compliance with their 

award conditions and other applicable statutory regulations. The COPS Office is also interested in tracking the progress of our 

programs and the advancement of community policing. Both aspects of award implementation—compliance and programmatic 

benefits—are part of the monitoring process coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Awarded organizations will be responsible for submitting Programmatic Performance Reports on a semiannual basis and 

Federal Financial Reports on a quarterly basis. In addition, awarded organizations will be responsible for the timely submission 

of a final Closeout Report and any other required final reports. All COPS Office recipients will be required to participate in such 

award monitoring activities of the U.S. Department of Justice, including but not limited to the COPS Office, the Office of the 

Inspector General, or any entity designated by the COPS Office. 

Please note that the COPS Office may take a number of monitoring approaches, such as site visits, enhanced office-based 

award reviews, alleged noncompliance reviews, and periodic surveys to gather information and to ensure compliance. The 

COPS Office may seek information including, but not limited to, your organization’s compliance with nonsupplanting and both 

programmatic and financial requirements of the award, and your organization’s progress toward achieving your community 

policing strategy. 

Program and monitoring specialists as well as auditors are particularly interested in confirming that the purchase of items and/or 

services is consistent with the applicant’s approved award budget as reflected on the Financial Clearance Memorandum and 

Final Funding Memorandum. 

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If awarded funds, you agree to cooperate with and respond to any requests for information pertaining to your award in 

preparation for any of the above-referenced award monitoring activities. 

Please feel free to contact your COPS Office Program Manager to discuss any questions or concerns you may have regarding 

the monitoring, reporting, and evaluation requirements. 

Program evaluation 

Though a formal assessment is not a requirement, awarded organizations are strongly encouraged to conduct an independent 

assessment of their respective award-funded projects. Project evaluations have proven to be valuable tools in helping 

organizations identify areas in need of improvement, providing data of successful processes, and reducing vulnerabilities. 

Selected award recipients shall be evaluated on the local level or as part of a national evaluation, pursuant to guidelines 

established by the Attorney General. Such evaluations may include assessments of individual program implementations. In 

selected jurisdictions that are able to support outcome evaluations, the effectiveness of funded programs, projects, and activities 

may be required. Outcome measures may include crime and victimization indicators, quality of life measures, community 

perceptions, and police perceptions of their own work. 

Financial Management and System of Internal Controls 

Award recipients and subrecipients must, as set out in the Uniform Guidance at 2 C.F.R. § 200.303, do the following: 

• Establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides reasonable assurance that [the 

recipient (and any subrecipient)] is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the 

terms and conditions of the federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for 

Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and the “Internal 

Control Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission 

(COSO). 

• Comply with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal awards. 

• Evaluate and monitor [the recipient’s (and any subrecipient’s)] compliance with statutes, regulations, and the terms and 

conditions of federal awards. 

• Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including noncompliance identified in audit findings. 

• Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other information the federal 

awarding agency designates as sensitive or [the recipient (and any subrecipient)] considers sensitive consistent with 

applicable federal, state, local, and tribal laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality. 

Audit Requirement 

The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, 

Subpart F – Audit Requirements, available at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F, 

establish the requirements for organizational audits that apply to COPS Office award recipients. Recipients must arrange for the 

required organization-wide (not award-by- award) audit in accordance with the requirements of Subpart F. 

Civil rights 

All recipients are required to comply with nondiscrimination requirements contained in various federal laws. A memorandum 

addressing federal civil rights statutes and regulations from the Office for Civil Rights, Office of Justice Programs will be included 

in the award package for award recipients. All applicants should consult the Assurances form to understand the applicable legal 

and administrative requirements. 

Please be advised that a hold may be placed on this application if it is deemed that the applicant organization is not in 

compliance with federal civil rights law or is not cooperating with an ongoing federal civil rights investigation. 

Equal Treatment of Faith-based Organizations and Safeguarding Constitutional Protections Related

to Religion 

For guidance on the protections provided in law for faith-based or religious organizations, please see the Office for Civil Rights 

website at https://www.ojp.gov/program/civil-rights/partnerships-faith-based-and-other-neighborhood-organizations. 

In addition, all recipients and subrecipients (at any tier) must comply with the applicable requirements of the DOJ regulation 

entitled “Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations” at 28 C.F.R. Part 38, which, among other 

things, prohibits using DOJ financial assistance to fund explicitly religious activities and also prohibits discrimination in the 

provision of DOJ-funded services on the basis of a beneficiary’s religion, religious belief, a refusal to hold a religious belief, or a 

refusal to attend or participate in a religious practice. For more detailed information about the regulation, please see the Office of 

Civil Right website at https://www.ojp.gov/program/civil-rights/partnerships-faith-based-and-other-neighborhoodorganizations. 

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Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 

If you are an applicant using assistive technology and you encounter difficulty when applying, please contact the COPS Office 

Response Center at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or 800-421-6770. 

The department is committed to ensuring equal access to all applicants and will assist any applicant who may experience 

difficulties with assistive technology when applying for awards using the JustGrants System. 

Public Reporting Burden-Paper Work Reduction Act Notice 

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to be up to 11.3 hours per response, depending upon 

the COPS Office program being applied for, which includes time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this 

burden estimate or any other aspects of the collection of this information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 145 N Street NE, Washington, DC 20530; and to 

the Public Use Reports Project, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, 

DC 20503. For any questions or comments, please contact David Neely, COPS Office Paperwork Reduction Act Program 

Manager, at 202-514-8553. 

You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control 

number for this application is 1103-0098, and the expiration date is 04/30/2024. 

Performance Measures 

To assist in fulfilling the U.S. Department of Justice's responsibilities under the Government Performance and Results Act 

Modernization Act (GPRA Modernization Act) of 2010, P.L. 111–352), recipients who receive funding from the Federal 

Government must measure the results of work that funding supports. This act specifically requires the COPS Office and other 

federal agencies to set program goals, measure performance against those goals, and publicly report progress in the form of 

funding spent, resources used, activities performed, services delivered, and results achieved. 

Performance measures are as shown in table 2. 

Table 2. Performance measures 

Objective Performance measures Data recipient provides 

Increase the capacity of law enforcement 

agencies to implement community policing 

strategies that strengthen partnerships for 

safer communities and enhance law 

enforcement’s capacity to prevent, solve, and 

control crime through funding for personnel, 

technology, equipment, and training. 

Extent to which COPS Office award funding 

(e.g., officers, equipment, training, technical 

assistance) has increased your agency’s 

community policing capacity? 

Extent to which COPS Office knowledge 

resources (e.g., publications, podcasts, 

training) have increased your agency’s 

community policing capacity? 

Recipients will rate the 

effectiveness of the COPS Office 

funding in increasing community 

policing capacity. Data will be 

collected on a periodic basis 

through performance reports. 

COPS Office awards target increasing recipient capacity to implement community policing strategies within the three primary 

elements of community policing: (1) problem solving; (2) partnerships; and (3) organizational transformation. The COPS Office 

requires all applicants to describe how the personnel, technology, equipment, supplies, travel, or training requested will assist 

the applicant in implementing community policing strategies. 

To read an overview of the principles of community policing, please see the COPS Office publication Community Policing 

Defined. 

As part of the programmatic performance reports, all recipients will be required to report on their progress toward implementing 

community policing strategies. Based on the data collected from recipients, the COPS Office may make improvements to the 

program to better meet the program’s objective and law enforcement agency needs. 

Application Checklist 

Please refer to the JustGrants DOJ Application Submission Checklist. 

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Survey Questions 

FY23 CPD_DeEsc_LE_Elig 

Eligibility 

Please indicate if your jurisdiction is primarily considered rural, urban, or suburban. Enter the current number of sworn officers 

for your agency below: 

The following questions will be used to determine eligibility for the FY23 Law Enforcement Agency De-Escalation Training 

Grants - CPD solicitation. NOTE: If you select “no” to any of the below questions, you will be considered ineligible for this 

solicitation and will not receive consideration for funding. 

Instructions: A law enforcement agency is established and operational if the jurisdiction has passed authorizing legislation and 

it has a current operating budget. 

Based on this definition, is your law enforcement agency established and currently operational? 

Instructions: An agency with primary law enforcement authority is defined as the first responder to calls for service for all types 

of criminal incidents in its jurisdiction. Agencies are not considered to have primary law enforcement authority if they only 

respond to or investigate specific type(s) of crime(s), respond to or investigate crimes within a correctional institution, serve 

warrants, provide courthouse security, transport prisoners, have cases referred to them for investigation or investigational 

support, or only do some combination of these functions. 

Based on this definition, does your agency have primary law enforcement authority? [Or, if contracting to receive services, does 

the agency that will be providing law enforcement services have primary law enforcement authority for the population to be 

served?] 

FY23 CPA Solicitation Ques 

Research and Development 

Instructions: For the purposes of this solicitation, R&D as defined by 2 C.F.R. §200.87 means all research activities, both basic 

and applied, and all development activities that are performed by nonfederal entities. The term “research” also includes activities 

involving the training of individuals in research techniques where such activities use the same facilities as other research and 

development activities and where such activities are not included in the instruction function. “Research” is defined as a 

systematic study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. “Development” is the 

systematic use of knowledge and understanding gained from research directed toward the production of useful materials, 

devices, systems, or methods, including design and development of prototypes and processes. 

Please select “yes” if any part of your project could be considered R&D or “no” if no portion of your project would support R&D. 

Could any portion of your project be considered research and development (R&D) as defined by 2 C.F.R. §200.87? 

Youth-Centered Project 

Instructions: For the purposes of this solicitation, please select “yes” if a purpose of some or all of the activities to be carried out 

under (whether by the recipient, or a subrecipient at any tier) is to benefit a set of individuals under 18 years of age. NOTE: An 

award condition will apply to all youth-centered awards. This condition will require recipients and subrecipients to make 

determinations of suitability before certain covered individuals interact with participating minors under the age of 18 years old in 

the course of activities funded under the award. 

Could any activities under your project benefit a set of individuals under 18 years of age? 

Training 

Instructions: The COPS Office defines training as the teaching and learning activities carried out for the primary purpose of 

helping members of an organization other than your own acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes needed 

by a particular job or organization. Training is driven by specific goals and objectives? it is not a single event but rather an 

ongoing process that requires continuous self-reflection and evaluation. Guides, webinars, articles, conference presentations, 

toolkits, podcasts, videos, blogs, and news feeds (to provide a few examples) can serve as support material in trainings or as 

standalone materials to increase knowledge, but on their own they are not defined as training by the COPS Office. Please select 

“yes” if any part of your project fits within the definition of training or “no” if no portion of your project fits within the definition of 

training. 

Could any portion of your project be considered training? 

U.S. Attorney's District Office 

Please select your U.S. Attorney’s District Office from the below drop-down options. 

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Executive/Contact Information 

Please provide the name and contact information for the highest ranking Law Enforcement or Program Official and Government 

Executive or Financial Official for your agency or organization, please see instructions below. 

LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVE/PROGRAM OFFICIAL 

This position will ultimately be responsible for the programmatic management of the award. 

Instructions for Law Enforcement Agencies: 

For law enforcement agencies, the Law Enforcement Executive is the highest ranking official in the jurisdiction (Chief of Police, 

Sheriff, or equivalent). Before this application can be submitted, the Entity Administrator in JustGrants must invite this individual 

to apply for a JustGrants account with the role of Authorized Representative, and this individual must log in to JustGrants to 

review the application. 

Instructions for Non-Law Enforcement Agencies: 

For non-law enforcement agencies (e.g., institutions of higher education, school districts, private organizations, etc.), the 

Program Official is the highest-ranking official in the jurisdiction (e.g., executive director, chief executive officer, or equivalent). 

Please note that information for non-executive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) is not acceptable. 

Before this application can be submitted, the Entity Administrator in JustGrants must invite this individual to apply for a 

JustGrants account with the role of Authorized Representative, and this individual must log in to JustGrants to review the 

application. 

Title: 

First name: 

Last name: 

Phone: 

Email address: 

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE/FINANCIAL OFFICIAL 

This position will ultimately be responsible for the financial management of the award. Please note that information for 

non-executive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) is not acceptable. 

Instructions for Law Enforcement Agencies: 

For law enforcement agencies, this is the highest ranking government official within your jurisdiction (e.g., Superintendent, 

Mayor, City Administrator, or equivalent). Before this application can be submitted, the Entity Administrator in JustGrants must 

invite this individual to apply for a JustGrants account with the role of Authorized Representative, and this individual must log in 

to JustGrants to review the application. 

Instructions for Non-Law Enforcement Agencies and Non-Government Agencies: 

For non-law enforcement agencies and non-government agencies, this is the financial official who has the authority to apply for 

this award on behalf of the applicant agency (e.g., Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, or equivalent). Please note that information 

for non-executive positions (e.g., clerks, trustees) is not acceptable. Before this application can be submitted, the Entity 

Administrator in JustGrants must invite this individual to apply for a JustGrants account with the role of Authorized 

Representative, and this individual must log in to JustGrants to review the application. 

Title: 

First name: 

Last name: 

Phone: 

Email address: 

Instructions for Application Submitter Contact: 

Enter the application point of contact's name and contact information. 

Title: 

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First name: 

Last name: 

Phone: 

Email address: 

Law Enforcement and Community Policing Strategy 

Instructions: The following is the COPS Office definition of community policing that emphasizes the primary components of 

community partnerships, organizational transformation, and problem solving: Community policing is a philosophy that promotes 

organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem solving techniques to proactively address 

the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime. Please refer to 

the COPS Office website (https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P157) for further information regarding 

this definition and its sub-elements. 

Please answer the following questions regarding your community support and impact on the jurisdiction. 

To what extent is there community support in your jurisdiction for implementing the proposed award activities? 

If awarded, to what extent will the award activities impact the other components of the criminal justice system in your 

jurisdiction? 

Explanation of Need for Financial Assistance 

All applicants are required to explain their inability to address the need for this award without federal assistance. Please do so in 

the space below. 

[Please limit your response to a maximum of 250 word count.] Continuation of Support After Federal Funding Ends 

Instructions: The questions in this section will be used for programs without a retention requirement to report any plans to 

continue the program or activity after the conclusion of federal funding. 

Does your agency or organization plan to obtain necessary support and continue the program, project, or activity following the 

conclusion of federal support? 

Please identify the source(s) of funding that your agency plans to utilize to continue the program, project, or activity following the 

conclusion of federal support: 

General funds 

Issue bonds or raise taxes 

Private sources and donations 

Non-federal asset forfeiture funds (subject to approval from the state or local oversight agency) 

State, local, or other non-federal grant funding 

Fundraising efforts 

Other 

If “other” is selected in the above question, please provide a brief description of the source(s) of funding. 

FY23_CPD_DeEscLEAppQuest 

Problem Identification and Project Description 

Will De-Escalation Training be implemented in the proposed initiative? 

If you answered yes to the question above, please describe how the training will be implemented in the proposed initiative. 

Will Duty to Intervene Techniques Training be implemented in the proposed initiative? 

If you answered yes to the question above, please describe how the training will be implemented in the proposed initiative. 

Will Implicit Bias Training be implemented in the proposed initiative? 

If you answered yes to the question above, please describe how the training will be implemented in the proposed initiative. 

Describe your agency’s overall philosophy towards your selected training topics and why it is important that officers are 

equipped with this knowledge and skill. (max 250 words) 

Please describe how this De-escalation Training project will fulfill a specific public safety need. (max 250 words) 

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Please describe the major activities of your training project and how the project will establish or enhance de-escalation efforts of 

your agency if funded. If requesting a VR/ AR system, specifically discuss how the system will contribute to your agency’s 

broader training efforts in de-escalation, implicit bias, or duty to intervene. (max 250 words) 

Describe each training curriculum your agency intends to implement (i.e., de-escalation, implicit bias, and duty to intervene 

techniques) and identify the course titles, their authors/developers, the planned instructors, and any vendors that may be 

contracted with federal funds for delivery. (max 500 words) 

How will the proposed activities assist your agency in implementing or institutionalizing community policing? (max 250 words) 

Please describe the final deliverables of the training project and how they contribute to the solicitation goals and requirements 

(max 250 words) 

Describe any other areas of organizational improvement your agency intends to implement to complement the training efforts 

proposed in your application. Examples include roll call videos and/or toolkits, policy changes, data collection and analysis, 

supervisory oversight, and incident review. (max 250 words) 

Project Reach and Impact 

How many officers will be impacted by the proposed training project that otherwise would not have been because of this award 

(e.g., number of officers trained, etc.)? 

Identify any current governmental, community, or agency initiatives that complement or will be coordinated with the proposed 

activities. (max 250 words) 

What specific outcomes does your agency expect to accomplish with this funding and how will the project team track or measure 

them? (e.g. What data will you gather to assist with evaluating the effectiveness of the program? Why did you choose those 

data?) (max 250 words) 

Please describe how these efforts will be sustained once the award ends. (max 250 words) 

Management and Implementation 

Describe the overall management and implementation plan for the project including identification of any key community or other 

stakeholder partnerships (community groups, private and/or public agencies) that will play a role in the implementation of this 

project. For example, how will you utilize any partners or agency staff and exercise oversight over the project team. Note: You 

will need to upload a timeline of project deliverables, activities, and milestones in the “Additional Application Components” 

section. (max 250 words) 

Please identify key project staff and their experience as well as the agency capacity to carry out the project (max 250 words). 

How do you plan to inform members of your organization of the policies and/or procedures from this project for oversight and 

management? (max 250 words) 

How do you plan to engage members of the community regarding the policies and/or procedures developed from this project for 

local involvement and effective community policing? (max 250 words) 

FY23_CPA_EO14074 

Supporting Executive Order 14074 

Instructions: To support Executive Order 14074, Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to 

Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety, the following questions will help the U.S. Department of Justice determine eligibility for 

priority consideration, if applicable, and identify potential gaps in training and technical assistance. 

Does your agency collect and report data on law enforcement use of force to the FBI’s National Use-of-Force Data Collection 

(including deaths in custody incident to an official use of force)? 

Does your agency collect and report data on officer suicides to the FBI’s Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection? 

Does your agency collect and report data on officers killed and assaulted to the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and 

Assaulted Data Collection? 

Does your agency prohibit the use of chokeholds and carotid restraints except in those situations where the use of deadly force 

is authorized by law? 

Does your agency limit the use of unannounced entries, often referred to as “no knock entries,” except where knocking and 

announcing an officer’s presence would create an imminent threat of physical violence to the officer and/or another person? 

Does your agency possess and use any of the following military equipment obtained via property transfer contracts or grants 

with the Federal government acquired through property transfers or purchases with federal funds or from federal agencies or 

contractors? 

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Applicable military equipment includes: (i) firearms of .50 or greater caliber; (ii) ammunition of .50 or greater caliber; (iii) firearm 

silencers, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a) (24); (iv) bayonets; (v) grenade launchers; (vi) grenades (including stun and flashbang); (vii) explosives (except for explosives and percussion actuated non-electric disruptors used for accredited bomb squads 

and explosive detection canine training); (viii) any vehicles that do not have a commercial application, including all tracked and 

armored vehicles (except for vehicles used exclusively for disaster-related emergencies; active shooter scenarios; hostage or 

other search and rescue operations; or anti-terrorism preparedness, protection, prevention, response, recovery, or relief); (ix) 

weaponized drones and weapons systems covered by DOD Directive 3000.09 of November 21, 2012, as amended (Autonomy 

in Weapon Systems); (x) aircraft that are combat-configured or combat-coded, have no established commercial flight application, 

or have no application for disaster-related emergencies; active shooter scenarios; hostage or other search and rescue 

operations; or antiterrorism preparedness, protection, prevention, response, recovery, or relief; and (xi) long-range acoustic 

devices that do not have a commercial application. 

FY23 CPA Information 

Type of Agency Organization 

Type of Agency (select one) 

From the list below, please select the type of agency which best describes the applicant. From the list below, please select the 

type of agency which best describes the applicant. 

Duplication of Funding 

Instructions: 

Applicants are required to disclose whether they have pending applications for federally funded assistance or active federal 

awards that support the same or similar activities or services for which funding is being requested under this application. 

Be advised that as a general rule, COPS Office funding may not be used for the same item or service funded through another 

funding source. However, leveraging multiple funding sources in a complementary manner to implement comprehensive 

programs or projects is encouraged and is not seen as inappropriate. To aid the COPS Office in the prevention of awarding 

potentially duplicative funding, please indicate whether your agency has a pending application or an active award with any other 

federal funding source (e.g., direct federal funding or indirect federal funding through state sub-awarded federal funds) which 

supports the same or similar activities or services as being proposed in this COPS Office application. 

Do you have any current, active non-COPS Office award with any other federal funding source (e.g., direct federal funding or 

indirect federal funding through state subawarded federal funds) that supports the same or similar activities or services as being 

proposed in this COPS Office application? 

If Yes, for each potentially duplicative non-COPS Office award, provide the following detailed information: name of federal 

awarding agency, or state agency for subawarded federal funding; award number; program name; award start and end dates; 

award amount; and description of how this project differs from the application for COPS office funding. 

Do you have any pending non-COPS Office grant applications with any other federal funding source (e.g., direct federal funding 

or indirect federal funding through state subawarded federal funds)that support the same or similar activities or services as being 

proposed in this COPS Office application? 

If Yes, for each potentially duplicative non-COPS Office grant application, provide the following detailed information: application 

number (if known); program name; project length; total requested amount; items requested; and describe how this project differs 

from the application for COPS Office funding. 

Certification of Review of 28 CFR Part 23/Criminal Intelligence 

REVIEWS AND CERTIFICATIONS 

Certification of Review of 28 C.F.R. Part 23/Criminal Intelligence Systems: 

If your agency is requesting COPS Office funding for equipment or technology that will be used to operate an interjurisdictional 

criminal intelligence system that receives, stores, analyzes, exchanges, or disseminates data regarding ongoing criminal 

activities, you must agree to comply with the operating principles at 28 C.F.R Part 23. 

If you are requesting COPS Office funds to operate a single agency database (or other unrelated forms of technology) and will 

not share criminal intelligence data with other jurisdictions, 28 C.F.R. Part 23 does not apply. 

Please review the FY23 CPA Programs Reference Guide for additional information. 

Please check one of the following, as applicable to your agency’s intended use of COPS Office funds. 

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CERTIFICATION OF REVIEW AND REPRESENTATION OF COMPLIANCE 

By checking the box, the applicant indicates he or she understands that the signatures of the Law Enforcement Executive 

/Program Official, Government Executive / Financial Official, and the Person Submitting this Application on the Reviews and 

Certifications represent to the COPS Office that: 1. the applicant will comply with all legal, administrative, and programmatic 

requirements that govern the applicant for acceptance and use of federal funds as outlined in the applicable COPS Office 

Solicitation and Reference Guides, the COPS Office award owner's manual, the DOJ Grants Financial Guide, Assurances, 

Certifications and all other applicable program regulations, laws, orders, and circulars; 2. the applicant understands that as a 

general rule COPS Office funding may not be used for the same item or service funded through another funding source? and 3. 

the applicant and any required or identified official partner(s) listed in this application mutually agreed to this partnership prior to 

submission. 

Acknowledgement of Electronic Signatures 

By checking the box, the applicant indicates that he or she understands that “clicking to agree” in this application and the 

required forms, including the Assurances, Certifications, and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form are just as legally 

enforceable as physical signatures. 

I understand. 

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